Magistrate: Be tough on cheap booze

TOUGHER laws are needed to discourage the production, sale and consumption of cheap liquor products with high alcohol content, says a magistrate.
Lae Magistrate Pious Tapil said stricter laws would help the police and courts to reduce offences caused by the consumption of these alcohol products.
“The authorities should now toughen the laws on these cheap alcohol products, be very strict on how the licences are issued as well as its trading hours,” he said.
Tapil fined Yan Mengtuan, 47, of Fujian province in China, K1,000 who was convicted of illegally selling alcohol during a liquor ban .
He ordered that Mengtuan’s court bail of K3,000 be used to pay the K1,000 fine.
“I should have increased your court fine but the laws do not allow for it so I am only imposing the maximum fine available,” Tapil told Mengtuan.
The 17 cartons of cheap alcohol products were confiscated by police at his store.
Mengtuan’s liquor licence has been suspended for a year from Jan 14.
“If you breach this court order and police find you selling any alcohol products in your store, you will be sent to jail for six months,” he told Mengtuan.
Police told the court that Mengtuan, on Dec 30, kept his liquor shop open despite the liquor ban imposed by the Morobe government on Nov 23.
After receiving a tip-off, police went to Mengtuan’s store and questioned men who had just bought alcohol. They admitted buying from Mengtuan’s store.