A bar in Co Cavan has been found guilty and has been fined for distributing fake vodka on its premises.
It is believed that Hughie’s Bar in Kingscourt was allegedly selling counterfeit Smirnoff Red label vodka. Suspicions were raised when the Food Safety Authority (FSAI) realized that the fake brand of vodka wasn’t as strong as the one it was imitating. The FSAI took immediate action against the pub after the vodka had been discovered. It is also understood that the owner was reportedly found guilty of making a false statement.
Today the publican was fined €7,000 for selling below-strength counterfeit vodka and misleading their customers. Further costs of €2,000 were also imposed.
Chief Executive of the FSAI Alan Reilly made statement regarding the case in which he said:“Incidents such as the sale of counterfeit vodka are an unacceptable breach of consumer trust and serve to undermine confidence in the food and drink industry as a whole,”.