THE Environmental Health Division of Honiara City Council (HCC) has warned it will take legal action against shop owners in Honiara who refuse to surrender any expired goods for destruction.
The division issued the warning following a confrontation incident in Honiara last Friday when one particular shop owner refused to surrender his expired goods to the health officials for destruction.
An official from the health division, Ben Abana, told the Solomon Star, that officials from the division acting in lieu of their official duties met the confrontation from the owner of Wai Hai shop in China town, Honiara.
Mr Abana said health officials were acting on a tip-off by a member of the public who reported that the shop had been selling some expired goods.
He said when the health officials approached the shop owner demanding him to hand over expired items for destruction; he flatly refused to do so, insisting that he would carry out destruction of the items himself.
Mr Abana told Solomon Star that the refusal by the shop owner amounts to defilement of the law and subjected to prosecution.
He added that when the officials checked stock from the shop they were able to find lots of expired goods displayed for sale on the shelves.
Mr Abana said Wai Hai shop had informed the health division that it had already disposed off the expired items, a claim yet to be verified by the health officials.
In the meantime Mr Abana said his division would still pursue prosecution proceedings against the owner of Wai Hai shop for his refusal to surrender the expired items to health officials.
By LESLEY SANGA
