Poison: P'nP offers R5m reward
2003-07-06 08:22
Wally Mbhele
Johannesburg - Pick 'n Pay is offering a R5m reward for information that can lead to the arrest and conviction of an extortionist.
The food chain on Saturday announced that one another of its products was found to be contaminated with cyanide poison this week after a child became sick after eating a packet of Fritos.
As a result of the new poisoning scare, Pick 'n Pay announced that it had recalled four products from all its stores nationally which are suspected to have been poisoned.
Those products are Pick 'n Pay No Name Brand Sardines (120g), Pick 'n Pay Choice Garlic Flakes Bottle (100ml), Lucky Star Pil chards in Chilli (155g) and Simba Fritos Barbeque Strip Pack (4s).
Pick 'n Pay and the police confirmed late on Saturday that non-lethal traces of cyanide had been found in two more products which were bought in Johannesburg and Durban respectively.
A child became ill on Thursday after eating one of the four packets of Fritos Barbeque chips bought at Pick 'n Pay's Kensington store in Johannesburg.
Blue pen
Pick 'n Pay chief executive Sean Summers said the packets contained a marking from a blue felt-tipped pen, but the marking had unfortunately largely been rubbed off.
"The child's mother reported this to Pick 'n Pay on Thursday. The remainder of the chips on the strip were immediately sent for testing and the child given a medical examination."
The results came back on Saturday and confirmed low traces of cyanide. The child was reported to be in good health.
In another poisoning incident, "a tin of no-name brand sardines bought at Pick 'n Pay in Kingsburgh, Durban, one and a half weeks ago, was opened by a customer and some of the contents consumed.
"The customer, who showed signs of food poisoning, reported it to Pick 'n Pay on the 3rd of July, whereupon the contents were urgently sent for analysis and the customer sent immediately for medical attention. The empty tin had unfortunately been thrown away and could not be recovered," according to a joint statement issued by Pick 'n Pay and the police.
The statement said the contents were analysed and the results, released yesterday, confirmed "very low traces of cyanide".
Blood tests
The customer was reported to be in good health. The blood tests are expected to be available tomorrow.
"We deeply regret what has happened. We are in close communication with the families and are offering every support we can. We continue to be horrified and outraged at what amounts to an all-out assault on all South Africans," said Summers.
Summers announced a R5m reward for anyone who can supply information to Pick 'n Pay which would lead to the arrest and conviction of the "extortionist".
An SA Police Services spokesperson, Senior Superintendent Selby Bokaba, urged the public to come forward with information that could lead to the arrest of the extortionist. He said the police are aware of the seriousness of the matter and are investigating. He said the police "view this development with the necessary urgency and are working hard to get to the bottom of the matter".
The Pick 'n Pay food poisoning saga began a week ago after a woman pensioner from Florida on the West Rand complained about a tin of no-name brand sardines with the words "Poisonous, do not use, contact Pick 'n Pay immediately".
Shortly after that Pick 'n Pay announced that it has been a victim of an extortion campaign for the past seven weeks.
On May 13 the company received a parcel by insured post containing a 120g tin of No Name Brand Portuguese Sardines, a Pick 'n Pay Choice garlic flakes bottle and a 155g can of Lucky Star pilchards in chilli sauce.
Letter
Accompanying the parcel was a letter informing the company that the items had been poisoned and that unless instructions were followed, similar items would be placed in stores.
On June 10 the company received a 20-second phone call from the extortionist informing them of the exact location of a can of contaminated No Name Brand Portguese sardines which had been placed at a Boksburg store.
"We view this matter in a serious light. We are working jointly with Pick 'n Pay and have been communicating from time to time. They are doing their job and we are doing ours. We have deliberately left out the details of what we are doing because that will jeopardise our investigation," said Bokaba.
"Pick 'n Pay has a customer-care line that customers can phone," he said, adding that the public would be informed as new developments arose."
Anyone with information is asked to contact either Pick 'n Pay on 011 4553843 or CrimeStop on 0860-010111.
- City Press