Fantasy Store has re-opened after being closed for two days following the closure of its associated bakery, which was recently found to be using and selling expired products.
Bakers Fantasy was closed by Male’ City Council on October 28. The council subsequently inspected three storehouses and Aioli Restaurant, which is owned by Fantasy Pvt Ltd.
Fantasy shops are known for imported products and quality produce, and are popular among locals .
Speaking to local media Haveeru, councilor ‘Jambu’ Hassan Afeef said expired products were found in two of three storehouses, and that storehouses were not properly lit. All expired products were destroyed, he said.
Aioli’s inspection yielded no surprises, he added.
Police Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam told Minivan News that the police had been ordered by the Prosecutor General’s (PG) office to investigate the matter.
“Fantasy is still being investigated,” said Police Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam. “The police wanted to investigate the store to be 100 percent sure that nothing expired was being sold, and we have told the store that it can continue operations but cannot sell foods prepared on site.”
The bakery remains closed.
The operation has involved several public authorities. Police initially tried to get a court order to close down the bakery. However, Shiyam said a court order was not needed as the council could perform the closure directly.
Fantasy Store was closed by police after ignoring an order from Community Health Services, which has legal authority to order temporary closures.
“The police went to the administrative office with a search warrant, but the staff refused to open saying they didn’t have the authority,” said Shiyam. “Police called senior management, but they wouldn’t answer the calls. Police waited two hours before an official came to open the doors.
“At that point the police could have used force to open the doors, but they didn’t want to do that. We wanted a peaceful operation,” he said.
At the time, police removed expired goods including yogurts from Fantasy Store shelves. Shiyam said the police were sensitive to the business needs of the company and employees.
“We got all the necessary information for our investigation, and believe the store can operate under certain restrictions. We know that there is negative business impact if the store cannot operate, and don’t want to hurt the local economy,” he said.
Officials at the Prosecutor General’s Office and Health Ministry had not responded to inquiries at time of press.
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I can't believe I actually bought Fantasy Bakery products. NEVER AGAIN, even if they re-open. Shame on you for betraying your customers.
I hope the officials maintain this level of a standard when they check other places too.
Fantasy store pvt. ltd. sells all quality goods to the resorts and sells rejected and expired goods to the Maldivian public. Now they can fool some people sometime. But they can't fool all the people all the time.
It's time to Boy-cot Fantasy store and Aoili restaurant.
Make them APOLOGIZE to what they have been doing for years and years.
I am wondering is this case political related also? Help me to understand.
Simply because I was told and witness with my own eyes that many restaurants here are using expired products, rotten vegetables, unhygienic meats...and prepare it in kitchens that are dirty. Why only single out Fantasy? In fact, lots of foreigners love to visit Fantasy store because of it's good standard.
During your next visit to a hotel or restaurant, try to find a excuse to visit the kitchen and you will agree and understand what I wrote.
Haha I'm not buying from these guys again. I used to love their bakery....but then again, they aren't fooling me anymore.
security of the food chain from contamination, substandard products, expired goods, harmful additives are basic issues in orderly countries. But Maldivians feel they are smart to talk about sea level rise and human rights in Iran , while even the best store in the nation does not have safe food to eat. why not put your own house in order first. Kids in Maldives are fed unsafe food because the Government has it's focus in the ozone layer
@ George
I don't think Fantasy is being singled out as there have been many instances previously when MFDA had closed down the business operations of other cafes and restaurants as well, due to hygenic reasons and they were allowed to reopen only once the specified standards were met. I guess eveyone is shocked that Fantasy, a business name we all associate with quality and reliability has been found to use long expired products to make and sell food products to a trusting public. Maybe its something we may associate with a small cafe or some other restaurants but not with Fantasy. Personally even I don't think that Fantasy Store should have been closed down for having expired products on their shelfs since it is something common in a lot of shops, but I suppose since that discovery came at the back of the Bakery issue some tough action had to be shown to the public. And the managements resistance towards the investigation wouldn't have helped either. Seriously though given the prices Fantasy charges, I expected a lot better from them. And for such a successful and strong business, I must say they are being very unfriendly towards the public at at time when we need their reassurance and an apology for doing what they did.
Their silence to the matter all these days show the guiltiness within them. Don't judge the book by its cover. Fantasy looks very clean from out side but the realty speaks itself. The management fail to monitor the premises routinely and gave the staff all the freedom to do what ever they wish and now they blame the staff for this fault.
@Mariyam
Thank so much for helping me to understand.
High prices must meet with high standard then : )
Hope that Fatasy's case will send a message to others about integrity and honesty in running business. It is useless to gain lots of money and lose your own souls and shops.
Fantasy Family Tree
Mr. Rasheed, a Maldivian by name but not by nature, is a millionaire happily settled in Australia with a booming food business network on Australia, Dubai and Maldives. A man that cannot give a penny to his own people nor return the profits into community through welfare structures like in Villa, Sun Travels, etc. A man who became rich by CHEATING and being GREEDY!
Mr. Zuhair is his commander in chief of the Fantasy Store battalion of Phillipinos, Indonesian, Indian, Sri Lankans, Bangladesh and lastly, Maldivians. Corrupted, arrogant, liar, womaniser and a man of no feelings. He cant even let employees socialize between themselves or even put on makeup.
Ms. Neena and Imna are the two most trusted loyalists that have seen the world, enjoy best wages and benefits in return of trust. Trust on the cheating that Fantasy has engaged in for years. They both know 100% of every product in the group.
The rest of the team isn't important as they are robots following instructions. When unable to function or a bit inquisitive, they are replaced immediately like spare parts. They work like dogs day and night and earn an amount equivalent to 3 visits to sherry saloon!
Fantasy broke the public trust, and instead of apologizing they come out blaming others, trying to justify their innocence. If it was in Australia or Dubai, Fantasy would still remain closed till a court ruling with stiff penalties and license suspension.
What has Fantasy done for its employees, the public or the country as a whole? Not even a sponsorship for children sports day, not a penny for the old or dying thelesimic kids, not a dime for paint for a mosque thats just opposite the bakery....thieves of 21st century.
Never will I ever buy anything from Fantasy and if I meet any of the four, god help me as I dont know what I may do. How much is our health messedup eating expired based food stuff??? F...u
its no surporise that the backery makes cakes made out of flour bags shared with rats.
back around early part of 2000, just about the time MFDA opened, i reported a case to them about sale of 4 chickens we had bougt to our house from the old fantasy store. it had been expired for over an year. following the complaint MFDA visited the store and found a lot of such in their fridge. so how long do u think this had been going on? why hasnt the governemnt done routine checks?
Critic - watch your mouth (you do not know what you are taking about)
Dont be fooled by expiry dates this is just a number. For example your canned goods will expire tomorrow do you believe it will taste and look different than yesterday? You can ask the manufacturer if expiry dates are true or not.Another example is your frozen meats that will expire tomorrow, there is no truth in it because frozen meat is like ice no bacteria can survive in a freezing point.