Castel Malawi has busted a production house in Ntcheu which was producing counterfeit Malawi Gin spirit and has led to an arrest of a young couple.
A young family comprising husband Shavison Chibayo, 34 and wife Karishima Machewere, 29, are currently on bail and will appear before Ntcheu Senior Resident Magistrate Joshua Nkhono to answer appropriate charges
Castel Malawi officials assisted by Police officers from Ntcheu Police Station busted the production of the counterfeit Malawi Gin two weeks ago after receiving reports that some people were producing ‘fake gin’ packaged in Malawi Gin branded bottles.
Castel Malawi announced on 7 October 2022 that it had stopped production of spirits namely Malawi Gin, Malawi Vodka and Premier Brandy due to the scarcity of packaging materials which require forex to access.
Castel Malawi Head of Marketing, Frank Binauli, confirmed the development in an interview yesterday but assured consumers that they are working with the Malawi Police in chasing every tip that they get from the market about counterfeit spirits.
“People are taking advantage of the announcement we made about the problems we are facing in producing spirits; but being a responsible company, we continue keeping our ear on the ground through our team to curb any attempt by unscrupulous individuals who may want to supply the market with counterfeit products. We appreciate the great citizens that report such unscrupulous individuals to us, as well, we also appreciate the professionalism we get from Malawi Police in assisting us curb this problem for the safety of consumers”.
“With the help of the police, Castel Malawi Ltd busted the young couple while they were packaging four 750 litre drums of ethanol mixed with water into empty Malawi Gin bottles,” said Binauli.
He said Castel Malawi is investigating similar cases and warned people perpetrating the vice to stop before the long arm of the law catches up with them.
Information from Ntcheu Magistrate Court indicates that Chibayo, 34, who hails from Mwansambo village, Traditional Authority Kuntaja in Blantyre and Machewere, 29, who hails from Makhwata village, T/A Njolomole Ntcheu will appear in court on 29 November 2022 for hearing of the case.
