By ROGERS KALERO
THE Kitwe City Council (KCC) has withdrawn the case in which it sued After Ten restaurant for unsanitary conditions and allegedly administering poisonous food stuff to the public citing failure to have the matter investigated thoroughly.
This is a case in which the restaurant had been dragged to court and was facing three counts of administering poisonous food and preparing food in unsanitary conditions.
This was after 230 people from Kitwe, Chingola and Ndola were hospitalised after consuming chicken shawarma that was bought from the restaurant.
The local authority through its health inspectors had detected a pesticide Monocropophas in the lettuce used to prepare the food which made people ill.
Particulars of the offence were that, in the first count, Clint Kamwendo, being a Director at the restaurant, sold food which had a harmful pesticide to Sam Chizika on August 29 this year.
In count two, on the material day, Kamwendo is accused of administering food which had a harmful pesticide to Jemimah Mwale and Jadiel Mwale .
In the third count, it is alleged that Kamwendo prepared and sold food in unsanitary conditions to the public.
But, when the matter came up for commencement of trial yesterday, State Prosecutor Luchinde Chilinda who is also KCC Drector of Legal services, said the state was unable to proceed and wished to invoke 88 A of CPC Cap 88 of the laws of Zambia.
“After perusing through the case, it was noted that the investigations were incomplete in the sense that vital evidence was not attended to,” Mr Chilinda said.
