Blacklisted sugar importer refuses court order

A blacklisted sugar importer, Matt International, has released 13,000 tonnes amid protest by the market regulator.

A Standard on Sunday check at the premises in Mombasa where the sugar had been stored established it had being loaded onto trucks for release to the market.

Kenya Sugar Board (KSB) director Billy Wanjala said Matt had released the sugar in breach of a court order.

Wanjala, who led the Press to a godown at Shimanzi, claimed Matt International had defied the court order stopping the release of the consignment. KSB blacklisted Matt last month, pending the resolution of a court case.

"We have a case in court involving this sugar and that is why I have come to protest. The court issued an order early this month stopping the release of the sugar and I’m wondering why the company is releasing the sugar," said Wanjala.

Passing the buck

But a Matt International manager, who declined to be quoted, said they were releasing the sugar following a court ruling.

The sugar arrived at the port early this year from Swaziland, a member of the Common Market of East and Southern Africa (Comesa).

The Matt manager said they had not done anything wrong because the court ordered any sugar from Comesa should be released.

Wanjala claimed the move was part of a wider scheme to undermine local sugar industry. He insisted there was no order to release Comesa sugar into the market.

"Only industrial sugar is to be cleared by Kenya Revenue Authority, but not sugar from Comesa," Wanjala said.

KSB Managing Director Rosemary Mkok said the court ordered that the sugar was not supposed to be released, and they market regulator is watching its movement.

source:eastandard