The Ministry of Health has won a court battle against Forever Living Products (FLP), a firm dealing in medicinal products. High Court President Johnston Busingye recently rejected the firm’s petition in protest of the ministry’s decision to stop it from selling its food supplements. The court said the claims lacked substance. In addition, FLP was fined court charges worth Frw31, 700. The firm has 30 days to appeal the decision. Representing the government, the Deputy Attorney General Alphonse Sebazungu, had said earlier that the letters FLP wrote to the Health ministry were not clear as to whether they sought to have their operations re-opened or not. “In all the letters they sent to the ministry they never asked to continue selling their food supplements using qualified personnel,” Sebazungu said in reference to the plaintiff’s assertions that the ministry had turned a deaf ear to their repeated pleas to have their business re-opened. On July 20, 2007, the ministry suspended the FLP’s activities citing lack of qualified staff in something the government said was sensitive to people’s health. Jotham Gasatura, the legal representative of FLP said the law was unclear on the right criteria for seeking for a redress. He had earlier submitted to court that the Health ministry did not only haphazardly close the firm’s operations but also did not respond to various letters from the institution.FLP, which operates in about 125 countries worldwide, has existed for the last 25 years.Ends
