Muscat: The Criminal Court of Barka granted bail on Monday to six expatriates believed to be involved in the recent rotten rice scandal.
The lawyers of the accused, an Omani, paid 100 rials as bail money for each accused.
The court heard the testimonies of the inspectors of the Public Authority for Consumer Protection who caught the accused red-handed.
The judge rejected a plea by defence lawyers for more time to read the case file, stressing that the court had given them the right to see the file.
The court adjourned the case to May 30 for further hearing.
Last week, the accused admitted that supervisors in the major supplying food company knew that they had tampered with the expiry dates on the rice bags and that they had stored rice in poor conditions that posed a threat to the health of the consumers, reported Atheer website.
The accused admitted to their crime and confessed that they found insects and dirt in the rice before cleaning it and repacking it in new bags.
Earlier this month, the Public Authority for Consumer Protection (PACP) raided a company in Barka province and confiscated 22 tonnes of rotten rice apparently stored for sale.
The details of the case emerged when PACP inspectors raided a warehouse after a number of workers who were repeatedly going inside the store raised suspicion.
Omanis launched two hashtags on Twitter calling on authorities to take action against those who sell expired produce.
The hashtags, which translate to “Yes to shaming” and “Stop messing up Oman”, urge authorities to name and shame companies that neglect the safety and health of consumers.
Currently, violators of the consumer protection law can be fined up to 55,000 rials (Dh524,707) and face a maximum of 15 years in prison.
