Firm drags Health ministry to court

COURT - Forever Living Product (FLP), an international firm dealing in pharmaceutical products, has dragged the Health ministry to court for suspending its operations. The case is before High Court President Johnston Busingye. The ministry in July stopped FLP from selling its medicinal products due to what officials called unacceptable ways the products were being transacted. Deputy Attorney General Alphonse Sebazungu told court on Friday that the ministry could not allow FLP to use unqualified personnel in selling medical products. “Such sensitive items cannot be sold in a disorganised manner. It cannot be sold by any one as if it is charcoal. It is a business that should be done in an orderly manner because if people are given overdose, the results can be disastrous,” he told court. Jotham Gasatura, who represents FLP, said that Health ministry did not only haphazardly close the firm’s operations but also did not respond to various letters by the health business institution. “My clients kept writing pleading to have their products accepted for sale but the Ministry could not respond,” Gasatura said. In one of its letters to the ministry, FLP argued that its drugs had never caused harm to anybody in all the countries it works from. Forever Living Products operates in 125 countries.Justice Busingye set the verdict date for January 18, 2008. Ends

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Firm drags Health ministry to court