Marwako Fast Food has been ordered to pay over one million Ghana cedis in damages to plaintiffs who were victims of a food poisoning incident in 2022.
The court also awarded GH₵10,000 against the defendant for the plaintiffs’ legal representation costs and overall litigation expenses.
The plaintiffs, Winifred Tse, Rodger Bismark Tse, and Walter Tse, were each awarded an amount of GH₵345,000 as general damages and will jointly receive special damages of GH₵25, 215.48.
The amount forms part of reliefs awarded to three plaintiffs who took on the company in court after the 2022 food poisoning incident.
The plaintiffs, who are siblings, are among the victims of the June 2022 incident.
The two dragged the company to court after they claimed to have suffered abdominal pains and diarrhoea after buying and consuming food from the defendant, Marwako Fast Food, on May 8, 2022.
The eatery is reported to have already paid the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) $750,000 in fines.
The company while in court on Tuesday, July 16, 2024 argued that the food bought by the first plaintiff should not be seen as contaminated, despite an admission that some of the food discovered at its East Legon branch exhibited a heavy microbial load.
However, the court disagreed, adding that the suggestion is unreasonable.
Background
On May 12, 2022, the FDA closed down the East Legon branch of Marwako restaurant following complaints of food poisoning on social media.
The FDA, in a statement, said it has “together with other relevant agencies, started investigations.”
The FDA said in its statement that “the issue would be thoroughly investigated and appropriate actions taken. Additionally, the FDA is ensuring the strict implementation of its protocols to prevent any further harm to the public.”
After an investigation into the matter, the FDA concluded that the eatery failed to observe the appropriate sanitary practices, leading to widespread food poisoning, which has reportedly affected customers.
“Analyses of samples of food, some juice, and swaps taken from the environment at the East Legon branch of Marwarko Fast Food Limited indicate that there was heavy microbial load (pathogens) which may be linked to the foodborne disease reported.
Samples collected from the Abelenkpe and La branches were also found to be contaminated. The levels of sanitation and hygiene in the food preparation areas in all three facilities were poor”, portions of the statement read.
The FDA’s release continued: “It was also established that there were poor storage practices. The temperatures of deep freezers and refrigerators were far above the acceptable ranges. The handling practices of ingredients used in cooking, cooked and ready-to-eat food items were also very poor”.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
