[File Photo]

Samisoni Enterprises Pte Ltd Group Managing Director Vanessa Charters is reassuring over 600 employees that the high court’s decision to deny their application to strike out their motion will have no impact on their jobs.

In a statement, the management and ownership of The Hot Bread Kitchen expressed confidence that they will prevail in the High Court even though their strike-out motion was denied today.

Charters who is the youngest daughter of late Dr Mere Tuisalalo Samisoni says Samisoni Enterprises remains resolute that they will win this case and prevail.

She says they had entered mediation to find a mutually acceptable resolution, but the other side withdrew following last month’s hearing of the strike-out motion.

The plaintiff, the founding family’s older daughter, Selina Helen Duff had instigated proceedings leading to a winding up order against the family-owned company, Samisoni Enterprises Pte Ltd, that owns Fiji’s Hot Bread Kitchen when Dr Mere Samisoni was the company’s chairperson and largest shareholder.

Dr Samisoni passed away in August last year but matter continued in court.

The strike-out motion was today denied allowing Selina Helen Duff’s allegation of shareholder oppression against the company to be heard.

In a statement, Charters says the judge said that the company would not be wound up and that the applicant Selina Duff to prove the conduct of the companies’ affairs.

Charters says this was not the outcome they wished for, but are grateful that the winding up order is out.

Samisoni Enterprises’ founders are the entrepreneur Dr Mere Tuisalalo Samisoni, who died in August last year and her late husband, Dr Jimione Isimeli Samisoni, who passed in 2007.

The company is now owned by their four children, John Samisoni, Selina Duff, Vanessa Charters, Philip Samisoni and the late Dr Mere’s estate.

The matter has been adjourned to 2nd December for Duff to prove her allegations of minority shareholder oppression.