Muscat: The Muscat Primary Court has said that the verdict against eight Indian traders in a case of expired confectionery will be given on April 3.
The Public Authority for Consumer Protection (PACP) had seized large amounts of expired confectionery at a shop and two stores of Dwarkadas Kalyanji Company based in Muttrah and Darseit suburbs of Muscat.
The Public Prosecution has built a case against eight owners of the company as well as some staff members. The prosecution has alleged that the accused used to import expired or almost expired goods and then resell them after illegally altering the production and expiry dates on the products and distributing it to retailers in local market.
The prosecution has charged three owners — Ratansinh Dwarkadas, Jaisinh Dwarkadas and Ranjitsinh Dwarkadas — with five offences of selling expired confectionery, defrauding with regard to the nature of goods, violating regulations of the PACP, storing foodstuff in inappropriate conditions, and hiring unlicensed labour. The other five (the staff) have been accused of helping the above mentioned and working without a permit.
On Saturday, the court heard testimony from Health Ministry nutritionist Fathiah Bint Abdullah Al Rashdi who said that the inspected samples contained harmful fungi that could cause liver and kidney cancer, according to a report in Arabic daily Al Watan today (Sunday).
Sihrab Al Farsi, Muscat Municipality nutritionist, testified in the court that the defendants were working out of an unlicensed warehouse and the other two licensed warehouse had no air conditioning that is mandatory for storing food items like candy for children. The defence lawyer, Waleed Al Zedjali, urged the court to release the first three defendants due to their age and related health issues, according to a report in government-owned Arabic daily Oman.
He also argued that the Muscat Municipality was equally responsible because they never issued any warnings to the traders about the shortcomings at the three warehouses that they owned although periodic inspections were carried out. He also argued that if the goods were unfit for consumption then the stock should have been stopped at the border when it was imported. He has appealed to the court to be lenient in levying penalties while prosecution lawyer Ahmed Bin Hamad Bin Said Al Rawahi has demanded stringent action against the alleged perpetrators.
