Rotten rice accused get reduced penalty

MUSCAT: The Appeals Court in Rustaq has reduced the sentence and the quantum of fine imposed on all the accused in the rotten rice case. The court, which passed the judgement on Tuesday, sentenced each of the accused to one-year imprisonment and a fine of RO 5,000. The court, chaired by Shaikh Hamed Khamis al Kharousi, Chairman, “accepted the appeal in form and rejected in substance”. The Court of First Instance in Barka had earlier sentenced the first, second and third accused to jail terms varying between one year and six months and up to two years with fines ranging from RO 10,000 to RO 20,000. It had sentenced the fifth and sixth accused to one-year imprisonment and fined RO 5,000 each.

The accused will also face other sub-penalties such as deportation for life. Arguments made by lawyers in support of the accused were rejected by Director-General of Public Prosecution. The tribunal has “supported the primary judgment, but amended the penalties”. It all began after the Public Authority for Consumer Protection (PACP) raided a company, which has not been named, in Barka in 2016 and seized 22 tonnes of rotten rice, apparently stored for sale. The court had ordered that the store where these activities were committed be shut down for three months and the rotten rice be destroyed at the expense of the accused.

It was revealed the workers had admitted the rice was stored in an environment that did not meet the minimum health requirements. PACP found a number of expatriate workers to be involved, including in the packing of inedible rice in new bags and affixing new production and expiry dates. The rice, stored in warehouses in unhealthy conditions, were sold to restaurants.