Muscat: The Public Prosecutor of the Barka Primary Court called for harsher punishment on Monday of six expatriates accused of selling contaminated rice.
The Public Prosecutor has also provided in the crime file, official figures from the Ministry of Health about the fatal diseases and cancers that contaminated food can cause to the consumers.
The court will issue its verdicts against those accused in August.
In May, the court rejected a demand by defence attorneys of six expatriates to investigate Oman TV for slander.
Earlier that month, the TV channel exposed the supplier company in a report that has outraged Omanis and residents.
The court heard testimonies of the chairman of the consumer protection body of Barka, as well as the accused men who admitted they knew the rice was being packaged for sale while containing insects and dirt.
The court also granted the accused men bail at 100 rials (Dh954) per person.
The Public Authority for Consumer Protection (PACP) raided the company, which has not been named, in the Barka province and confiscated 22 tonnes of rotten rice, apparently stored for sale.
Omanis have launched two hashtags on Twitter calling on authorities to take action against those who sell contaminated food.
Earlier this year, it was revealed that a major company supplied shopping malls and shops in the capital Muscat, with more than 4,000 expired products.
Dozens of workers were arrested on the site after it was discovered they tampered with the expiry dates of food items. In this case also, authorities did not name the company.
Citing Article 44 of the new consumer act, the official who declined to be named, said the law stipulates that the only an authorised court is entitled to name the perpetrators and only if granted permission by the Public Prosecution.
Currently, violators can be fined up to 55,000 riyals (Dh524,707) and face a maximum of 15 years in prison.
