Alleged supply of uncertified spirituous liquor

The Commission ordered 12 companies to pay a fine of MK5 million each for supplying the market with uncertified spirituous liquor which is likely to cause harm to consumers. These companies were: Chilwa Investments; S.R Distilleries; Bwenzi Group; Silver Spirits; Reddy’s Beverages Limited; Atinga Investments; KSVN Investments Limited; Quality Investments; Jaisai Beverages; Vrushadri Limited; Cheers Distributors; and ASK Beverages. The Commission also ordered the companies to cease and desist from supplying harmful and uncertified products and to conduct a thorough product recall in all retail outlets within seven days. Further, the Commission ordered that should any liquor products be found on the market, the Commission would impose another fine to the offending companies.

This followed investigations conducted by the Commission which showed that these companies were supplying uncertified spirituous liquor products contrary to section 43 (1) (e) of the CFTA. The Commission established that, despite being warned about the injurious nature of the products, spirits produced by these companies were readily available on the market in substantial quantities.