United States-Jailed Meatpacker refused bail.

UNITED STATES.

THE WORLDS LARGEST KOSHER ABATTOIR.

The sago continues into the woes of Agriprocessor in Postville, the worlds largest Kosher abattoir and processing plant. The CEO Sholom Rubashkin was again refused bail by an American court, when he applied on Xmas Eve.

Rubashkin’s lawyers said that the reasoning was discriminatory, however the judge pointed out that he was indeed a flight risk. Making matters worse have been the actions of the company officers and creditors, since the forced liquidation a few months ago.

The company was raided in May of this year and 397 workers arrested and imprisoned, on immigration offences, causing the company to be fined $10 million by Federal authorities.

The companies bankers were owed $33 million and wanted the loan re-paid. It came out in the course of the investigation that as well as employing 500 staff, who were not registered with any government office, these unfortunate people were paid lowly wages, then taxed by the company who pocketed the tax that was deducted.

The CEO was charged with bank fraud and numerous other offences, as the creditors came in and re-possessed equipment and vehicles, then asset stripped anything that was not bolted down at the meat complex. This was followed by complaining farmers, who had not been paid for livestock and poultry supplied to the company, who now appear to have no chance of getting paid.

Despite the hoards of creditors and unpaid farmers, the family of Rubashkin, had no problem raising $1 million cash for his bail, which was revoked in November for alleged tampering with evidence. These facts coupled with the fact he was found to have $20,000 cash in his bedroom and several passports, at the time his bail was revoked do not paint the picture of an honorable man.

The staff at the plant were of African and Latino origin, they had been exploited and robbed by the company for many years. However the charges of child labor are quite ridiculous, when referring to 16 and 17 year old youths working in a meat plant. These charges only apply because of a state law saying you have to be 18 to work in a meat plant. This is as ridiculous as the American laws, saying you can vote at 18 and die for your country at 18, yet you cannot legally drink until you are 21.

There is nothing left to sell at the plant, most certainly no value on the brand name or the customers. The customers have sourced meat elsewhere and the brand name is worthless in fact a handicap rather than an asset.

This would have been an awful Xmas for Rubashkin and his wife, as well as his 10 children. There was little or no compassion shown for the 397 employees, who served 5 months in prison because of the company greed and abuse, of those less fortunate than themselves.