By Gordon Deegan

A judge has directed that the owner of a Shannon-based Halal meat plant operator, Asba Meats, attend court over his company’s failure to pay in full an unpaid debt of €16,931 to another meat firm.

At Ennis District Court, Judge Alec Gabbett made the order that the owner of Asba Meats Ltd., Tarequr Rahman Khan, attend court next month.

Judge Gabbett made the order concerning a case brought by Town and Country Meats Group Ltd., against Asba Meats Ltd., over the unpaid €16,931 debt for meat.

Solicitor for Town and Country Meats Group, Stiofan Fitzpatrick told the court that his client had obtained judgement against Asba Meats for the amount.

The solicitor applied for a bench warrant for Khan to attend but Judge Gabbett said that he could not issue a bench warrant as it was the company name on the case before the court.

Stiofan Fitzpatrick said he was re-entering the case before court on behalf of his clients against Asba Meats Ltd., and Judge Gabbett noted that there was no appearance by Khan or a solicitor for Khan in court.

Mr. Fitzpatrick said that Asba Meats was failing to comply with an instalment order.

He added that his clients got an order against Asba Meats and he said that before court on the last day he agreed a payment schedule with Tarequr Rahman Khan outside court.

He said that one payment has been made but that Khan has not made any further payments.

Town and Country Meats Group obtained an order in the circuit court on June 4, 2024 to allow the company recover €16,181 from the Halal meat plant company along with €750 in costs and expenses.

In January of this year, in a separate case, the Agri-Food Regulator recorded its first conviction for a breach of the unfair trading practices (UTP) Regulations against Asba Meats at the same court.

The case concerned Asba Meats Ltd., over the non-payment of €10,059 for cattle delivered to the slaughter plant by a west of Ireland farmer. 

Accounts lodged with the Companies Office show that Asba Meats Ltd., recorded post-tax profits of €138,813 for 2023. Numbers employed by the business increased from 44 to 55 in 2023.

As part of the penalty against Asba Meats of Beechpark Logistics Centre, Smithstown Industrial Estate in the Agri-Food Regulator case, Judge Gabbett ordered the firm to pay a hefty district court costs bill of €10,163 (including VAT) along with a €1,000 fine.