Man convicted for manufacturing fake alcoholic beverages

William Bortey, a 45-year-old self-styled distiller and trader, was on Tuesday convicted to a fine of GH¢1,200 by an Accra Circuit Court  for manufacturing fake alcoholic beverages in his house at Nungua in Accra.

Bortey was said to have manufactured Mandingo Bitters, Herb Afrik and Castle Bridge which looked like the products of GIHOC Distilleries Company.

He was being held for the offence of forging the said trade mark of the Company without their consent, and in default would go to jail for six months.

Bortey had earlier on pleaded guilty to the offence of sale of drink with forged trade mark and forgery of trade mark at the court presided over by Francis Obiri.

Prosecuting, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Abraham A. Annor, said the complainants in this case is the

Managing Director of GIHOC Distilleries Limited,  while the accused person is a trader resident at Nungua in Accra.

DSP Annor said on February 27, the complainant reported to the Police that some people were faking their products and offering them for sale,  adding that on March 12, following intelligence leads, a team of detectives went to Nungua and arrested Bortey.

The prosecutor said, during a search conducted in the house of Bortey, Corks, labels of Herb Afrik, Mandingo Bitters, Castle Bridge and alcohol beverage suspected to be Mandingo, gallons of alcohol and equipment used to manufacture alcohol, were found.

DSP Annor said,  Bortey in his caution statement admitted the offence.

Prosecution said on March 17, this year samples of the alcoholic products were sent to the Ghana Standards Authority for examination,  but on April 14, the  result received from the Authority after the examination indicated that the products retrieved from Bortey are not of the same standard as that of GIHOC.

(GNA)