Businessperson Faces Seven Allegations For Failure To Pay Wages Under The Labour Act

By Alric Lindsay

A business facing seven alleged breaches of the Labour Act for failure to pay wages has been granted a final three-week window to secure legal representation before entering pleas.

A representative for Magnate Holdings Ltd., trading as Fresca, appeared in the Summary Court today, October 13, 2026, to answer a corporate prosecution brought forward by the Department of Labour and the DPP.

The Chief Magistrate noted as an initial matter that the prosecution’s formal papers should have been served on the businessperson well before she arrived in court. The file has been dragging through the mention system since August.

The court heard that the business owner, Ms. Moore, received the formal charge sheets setting out the seven offences.  Ms. Moore explained that she is currently operating the cafe as a self-employed sole trader with no employees, and requested time to apply for government-funded legal aid.

Crown Counsel from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions suggested to the court that, perhaps, the Crown may need to “telegraph” where things are heading after an assessment is made about the business’s financial capacity to pay penalties. 

The Chief Magistrate Hernandez granted a brief stay, ordering Ms. Moore to return to court on November 3, 2026, at which point formal pleas must be entered.