Expired corned beef supplier before court

March 31, 2011 (Page 3)
THE alleged supplier of expired corned beef, Michael Kissi, was yesterday arraigned before the Accra Circuit Court charged with two counts of selling unwholesome food and deception of consumers.
He pleaded not guilty to the charges and was granted bail in the sum of GH¢30,000 with two sureties.
He is expected to reappear together with the woman from whom he allegedly bought the expired Matador and CB Corned Beef after the woman was alleged to have re-labelled the products as Exeter Corned Beef.
Kissi’s accomplice, Patience Kabla, 36, was first arraigned before the Accra Circuit Court on February 6, 2011 charged with selling unwholesome food and deception of consumers.
Kissi had earlier informed the police that Patience had supplied him with the unwholesome corned beef but he was charged alongside Patience after investigations.
Patience, a Togolese, was arrested by the police on February 2, 2011 for re-labelling Matador and CB Corned Beef which expired in 2008.
However, the new brand sheet attached to the tins showed an expiry date of 2012.
She pleaded not guilty to the two charges and was granted bail in the sum of GH¢25,000 with three sureties to be justified.
According to the prosecution, on January 28, 2011, officials of the Food and Drugs Board (FDB) arrested Kissi, a trader, for selling fake and expired corned beef at the Makola Number One Market in Accra.
Five cartons of the product were seized by the officials for further investigations and they were found to have been re-branded with the Exeter label.
Kissi was later put before court and he promised to assist the police to apprehend the person who had supplied him with the product.
The prosecution said on February 2, 2011, Kissi’s mother, who is a witness in the case, spotted Patience at the Okaishie Market when she (Patience) went there to collect money from her creditors.
Knowing that it was Patience who had supplied the fake corned beef to her son, the woman caused Patience’s arrest.
Kissi later identified Patience as the woman who had supplied him with the fake corned beef.
The prosecution stated that Patience, in her statement to the police, had said she had bought the corned beef in Togo and was prepared to assist the police to arrest the main suppliers.