Tobacco company, Philip Morris Singapore, was acquitted, today, of the second of two charges of unlawfully advertising cigarettes. Had it been convicted of the offences, the firm could have been fined a maximum of S$10,000 for each charge.
According to the law, cigarettes can only be displayed in outlets that are licensed to do so.
Philip Morris was accused of unlawfully displaying five packets of Marlboro cigarettes on Sep 25, 2009.
Lawyer, Terence Seah, represented the Health Sciences Authority (HSA).
He said in his submissions that there was no dispute that the cigarettes were displayed on a temporary bar counter during a Formula One event.
It was held in a tent located at the outdoor carpark of local nightspot, St James Power Station.
Mr Seah stressed that such displays should be restricted strictly to the premises of a licensed outlet and viewed only by a narrow audience.
The prosecution argued an offence had been committed as there was no license which allowed tobacco products to be displayed in the carpark.
Philip Morris was represented by the team led by Hamidul Haq and Thong Chee Kun.
The tobacco firm had believed that the Formula One event was going to be covered by a license that allowed the display of cigarettes for retail purposes.
District Judge Low Wee Ping agreed and dropped the charge against Philip Morris following a three-day trial that started on Monday.
The company was also accused of displaying a sample kit promoting the sale of a new brand of menthol cigarettes at a provision shop in Clementi on Nov 5, 2009.
This case was compounded earlier, this year, and Philip Morris was acquitted after it paid S$2,000 to the HSA.
Tags: marlboro cigarettes, Philip Morris