Inquiry into the fire at 5/15 Percy Street, Auburn
Finding date
2015-08-19
AI-generated summary
A deliberately lit fire destroyed a commercial food processing factory at Unit 5/15 Percy Street Auburn on 20 August 2013, causing significant property and stock damage. Accelerant detection confirmed petrol was doused on wooden pallets at the fire's origin in the processing area and also on the mezzanine level. The factory operator, Li Mei Chen, was identified as a primary person of interest due to multiple suspicious factors: a previous fire at her Berry Street factory in 2009, business interruption insurance taken out only 6 weeks before the fire, undisclosed financial arrangements and complex shareholding structures with Tao Su, false documentation submitted for 457 visa sponsorship applications, removal of CCTV hard drives before the fire, and reduced stock levels. The coroner concluded the fire was deliberately set but was unable to determine the perpetrator's identity with sufficient certainty to recommend prosecution.
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