Suspects in court over ‘bad sugar’ scandal

Nine people have been charged with allegedly releasing 10 000 bags of contaminated brown Egyptian sugar into the Kenyan market. As previously reported in Legalbrief Today, Parliament is conducting investigations into how an estimated 1bn kgs of ‘dirty’ sugar entered the country. It included 350 000 metric tons that appeared to contain mercury, copper and lead. Director of Public Prosecutions Noordin Haji has consolidated the cases and the accused have been separately charged with releasing the product. The Daily Nation reports that six Kenya Revenue Authority and Kenya Bureau of Standards officials as well as three directors of Air Menzies International and Flora Bakers Ltd companies have appeared in the Mombasa Magistrate’s Court where they denied the charges. They are accused of willfully causing the released of 10000 50kg bags of sugar that failed to comply with the legal requirements. The offences were allegedly committed between 29 June and 11 July 11 at a container station in the Kilindini port. The suspects are out on bail and the trial has been set for 28 November.