Peep Sierra Leone

The dynamic Deputy minister of Health and Sanitations, commonly known as 'The Health Cobra", Hon. Mohamed D. Koroma, has once again issued a stern warning to the Management of the Sierra Leone Brewery Limited about contaminated beer and stout that has become a hot topic of the press in recent times.

This is the second time Hon. Koroma has warned the Sierra Leone Brewery Limited to take the health of the people of this country paramount.

This took place at a meeting held at the Ministry's conference hall past Monday, January 18, 2010, attended by the Brewery top management officials and other senior ministry officials including the Chief Medical Officer.

Hon. Mohamed D. Koroma further warned Brewery that his Ministry will not take it lightly with anybody/group who plays around with the health of the people of this country.

However, the Managing Director of Sierra Leone Brewery Limited, Mr. Cor. Honkoop, refuted the Standard Times reports that his company produced contaminated beer and stout for sale to the local market.

Mr. Honkoop told the meeting that it was technically impossible that the pictures on the front page of the Newspaper could have come from their production line, describing it as a fabrication.

He said they have the ability to test in their laboratory whether the bottles were produced by them or outsiders, adding that, they have strengthened their grounds by consulting their legal and technical advisers on the issue.

The bottles which were allegedly contaminated with a pegapack and condom respectively, the Managing Director said, had not been filled and sold in the market by Brewery.

The Deputy Health and Sanitation Minister, Mohamed Daudis Koroma, told the meeting that the health of the people is of paramount concern to the Ministry and the government, describing the Newspaper report as worrying, noting that the allegation poses a public health risk.

Mr. Koroma said he is not comfortable with the situation and urged Brewery to speedily establish their legal stance to ease the minds of consumers and the concern of the Ministry.

He described the Sierra Leone Brewery as a reputable institution that has been contributing immensely to the development of the country, adding that as a responsible entity they must act quickly in response to the allegation made against them.

The Chief Medical Officer, Alhaji Dr. Kisito Sheku Daoh, noted that Brewery is being regularly audited by the Standards Bureau, the Ministry of Health and the Factory Inspectorate to increase standards and competence, describing the issue as strange and serious for both the Ministry and the Brewery.

The Brewery Managing Director said that the Ministry has given them the opportunity to react and put in evidence steps taken to challenge the publication and put to rest the burden and fears of the Ministry.

A Demonstration by the Brewery Production Machine through a Projector Computer presentation, eliminating filled bottles with pegapack and condom from the good ones, and the presentation of one of the exhibits by Standard Times, and their stance that the contaminated bottles were produced during a breakdown of one of the machines, formed the climax of the meeting.