A businessman appeared at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court yesterday before Magistrate Annette Singh where he was charged with offering expired goods for sale.

According to the facts of the matter, Fuzuil Ali, is a businessman who imports foodstuff including beverages such as Diet Pepsi and Coca Cola. The items are stored at his place of business, Lot 83 Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara. Ali usually supplies other businesses who will buy his products, and resell to other business places such as the Marriott Hotel. On May 29, Ali allegedly sold twenty-five cases of Diet Pepsi to other businesses which resold the beverages to the Marriott Hotel. It was subsequently discovered that the beverages had expired and that the expiry dates were tampered with.

The matter was reported to the police and after an investigation coupled with advice from the Director of Public Prosecutions, (DPP), the defendant was charged with selling expired goods and tampering with expiry dates. The businessman pleaded not guilty to the charge that was read to him.

Bail was granted in the sum of $100,000 and he is expected to make his next court appearance on July 05