KEY POINTS:
A town is angry that a shopowner is still in business despite being convicted of a sex offence against a teenage girl.
Some residents in Maungaturoto, Northland, want Foodstuffs, which owns the Four Square chain, to strip shopkeeper Yashni Kant of his franchise rights - as it did to a Moerewa Four Square operator filmed selling a chemical used for making drugs.
But Foodstuffs says it is waiting for the outcome of an appeal against Mr Kant's conviction today before it takes any action.
Mr Kant, 44, owner of the Kaipara town's Four Square, was sentenced in the Whangarei District Court last December to six months' home detention.
He was found guilty on two counts of indecent assault after an incident involving a teenage girl more than two years earlier.
Although Mr Kant completed his sentence last month, publicity over Moerewa's Four Square has re-ignited controversy in Maungaturoto.
This month, Moerewa Four Square owner Nick Patel was given notice that he was being dumped from the nationwide chain after a TV crew filmed him selling isopropyl alcohol to an actor claiming he wanted the chemical for making drugs.
Isopropyl alcohol - used to make cannabis oil - is not illegal, but the company said Mr Patel had brought the Four Square brand into disrepute and tarnished its "family-friendly" image.
That led some Maungaturoto residents to question why Mr Kant remained in charge of their town's Four Square.
Among them is father-of-two Matt Turner, who said that once Mr Kant was convicted, there was almost an expectation that his Four Square licence would be revoked.
"There's a lot of people here who are outraged. We've been wondering since then, 'Why is he still operating'? But then that died down for a bit until Mr Patel came into the limelight on national television, and we're annoyed at the hypocrisy of it."
Because of Mr Kant's influence in the town - he was until recently the RSA president and owned a lot of property - few were willing to speak out, Mr Turner said.
"But as soon as he was convicted, lots of people said 'I'm not going to his shop any more".
Foodstuffs Auckland said it was holding off any action because Mr Kant was appealing against his conviction.
Retail sales manager Mark Baker said it would be inappropriate for Foodstuffs to act on a matter that was still subject to a legal challenge.
"Should the appeal be upheld, then no crime has been committed. But if it's rejected, Mr Kant's membership will be terminated."
He said Mr Kant's case was different to that of Mr Patel in Moerewa. The one-month strike-off notice given to Mr Patel still stood because his actions had brought the Four Square brand into disrepute, Mr Baker said.
Mr Kant said he would comment after the appeal. He was unable to reveal the grounds of appeal until then, as it was a "sensitive issue".
He said people who wanted his store closed were entitled to their views - but many others were right behind him.
Mr Kant is understood to own the building housing his shop.
- NORTHERN ADVOCATE
