Seven men have been charged with conspiring to supply unfit meat following an investigation by the Food Standards Agency’s National Food Crime Unit, with two also facing animal cruelty charges.
The defendants appeared before Westminster Magistrates’ Court on 14 October. All seven have been sent to Southwark Crown Court for a further hearing on 11 November and remain on unconditional bail.
The defendants
Four of the men — Tudor Organ, 30, William Organ, 54, Simon Jones, 36, all from Carmarthen, and David Hird, 29, from Ceredigion — appeared by video link.
Three London-based men attended the hearing in person: Richard Agyemang, 58, Amjad Buttar, 58, and Abdul Rahman, 56.
Tudor Organ and William Organ face additional animal cruelty charges alleging they carried out an act which caused an animal to suffer.
“Lengthy and complex investigation”
The Crown Prosecution Service confirmed all seven men had been charged with conspiring to supply unfit meat. The charges follow what the FSA described as a lengthy and complex investigation into suspected criminal activity involving meat.
Neil Castle, deputy head of the FSA’s National Food Crime Unit, said: “Seven people have appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court to face charges following a decision by the CPS. This comes after a lengthy and complex NFCU investigation into food crime offences.”
Dean Quick, from the CPS’s Serious Economic Organised Crime and International Directorate, said prosecutors had assessed whether there was sufficient evidence to bring charges and whether pursuing proceedings was in the public interest.
The National Food Crime Unit is continuing to work with the CPS as criminal proceedings progress.
Tackling food crime
The National Food Crime Unit is the FSA’s specialist team dedicated to investigating serious fraud and criminality in the food supply chain. Its work includes targeting the sale of meat unfit for human consumption, counterfeit alcohol and large-scale food fraud.
Anyone with suspicions of food crime can report it to the unit confidentially online or by freephone on 0800 028 1180.
The case will return to Southwark Crown Court on 11 November, where the defendants will face the conspiracy charges. All seven remain on unconditional bail until then.
For more on London’s courts, see our coverage of the Gray’s Inn ‘bomb plot’ trial and Wandsworth Council’s ombudsman rulings.
