The Civil Court has issued an injunction to halt a public referendum planned by the Male’ City Council concerning the reopening of Fantasy Bakery, which was closed by health inspectors in October 2011 for selling expired food products.
The court’s injunction said if Male’ City Council held a public referendum that was not stipulated in any laws or regulations, it will hurt the business as well as making the public lose confidence in any verdict the court may deliver in Fantasy’s countersuit.
The Bakers Fantasy Private Limited had requested the court issue the injunction to halt the referendum, the Civil Court said.
The Civil Court’s injunction was delivered by Judge Abdulla Adheeb and a copy of the injunction was sent to Male’ City Council, Bakers Fantasy Private Limited and the Maldives Food and Drug Authority.
Male’ City Council was sued by Bakers Fantasy Private Limited following a decision of the council to withhold the license of the company to sell food products.
The company has claimed that they have paid the Rf 6500 (US$420) fine imposed on the company and have corrected issues noted by the council.
When Minivan News contacted Bakers Fantasy, the receptionist said no one was present who could speak with the media and would not provided a contact for management.
Last year when the issue came to light, police conducted an operation to close down the bakery and remove expired items from the store.
Police involvement came after the store disregarded orders from Community Health Services which had the legal authority to close food outlets.
The police at the that time went to the administrative office with a search warrant, but the staff refused to open the door stating that they did not have the authority to do so, according to police. Police called senior management, but they did not answer calls. Police waited outside for two hours before Fantasy management came to open the doors.
The Fantasy store was popular among locals as well as foreigners living in Male’, and was widely patronised.
Bakers Fantasy was closed by Male’ City Council on October 28. The council subsequently inspected three storehouses and Aioli Restaurant, which is also owned by Fantasy Pvt Ltd.
Male’ City Council’s head of health section Hassan ‘Jambu’ Afeef told local media at the timethat expired products were found in two of three storehouses, and that storehouses were not properly lit. All expired products were destroyed, he said.
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A public referendum for this is ridiculous. must inspect what people at city council have been putting in their food.
oh common... you could have posted that comment 🙂 😉 no thanks even?
A public referendum is really a bit too much for an issue such as this. I believe more laws and regulations are needed for consumer protection. The fine charged is really ridiculous and it doesn't reflect the severity of what Fantasy did in using expired products to make food and sell to an unsuspecting public. Let them open if they want, and let the public decide if they want to give Fantasy bakers another chance. But they really do need to give a good public apology to the people first.
I have been selling expired goods for over 25years and there was no problem with it. Afterall this is Maldives, who cares about anything other than money. Fortunately I have enough , I don;t need any department telling me what to do. I know my business very well!