Company ordered to pay $25k

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Picture: FILE

Carpenters Fiji Pte Ltd trading as MaxVal-u Supermart, Lautoka, lost an appeal and has been ordered to pay $25,000 in fines.

The company was charged with false and misleading representation after a complaint was received on November 29, 2017 by the Fijian Competition and Consumer Commission.

MaxVal-u Lautoka had sold two FMF Breakfast Crackers at $1.37 per packet despite displaying the price tag for the item at $1.30 per packet.

FCCC conducted an investigation and the supermarket manager was caution interviewed and MaxVal-u charged.

The Lautoka Magistrates Court found the company guilty on October 18, 2019, and imposed a fine of $25,000.

MaxVal-u appealed the decision on the grounds the sentence was harsh and excessive.

High Court judge Justice Sunil Sharma said in his May 22 ruling, the magistrate had considered the fact that MaxVal-u had 21 previous convictions of the same or similar nature.

“The learned magistrate chose a fine at the lower end of the scale being $5000, which was multiplied by 5 as required by section 129 (3) of the Fijian Competition and Consumer Commission Act,” said Justice Sharma.

“The maximum fine that can be imposed is $100,000. In my judgment the fine of $25,000 is justified considering the circumstances of the offending and the obvious culpability of the appellant as per section 129 of the Fiji Competition and Consumer Commission Act.”

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