Mystery surrounds the closure of the well-known Indian grocery retailer Moshims Discount Plaza premises in Mt Roskill, Auckland.
The plaza – which includes a supermarket, butcher, restaurant, video shop, and fish shop – has now been closed for almost a month.
A notice on the main entrance of the supermarket states the premises is closed due to “unforeseen circumstances”.
The group is owned by Mohammed Hashim Khan, who initially started out as a banker, first in Fiji and later in Auckland, before branching out into selling fruit and vegetables at a small shop in Papatoetoe.
The plaza, also in Stoddard Rd, opened two years ago after Hashim Khan closed his original Stoddard Rd store. The opening of the store took place amid much advertising in community media.
Numerous telephone calls to Hashim Khan this week remained unanswered.
One of the biggest suppliers of goods to Moshims in Auckland is well-established and respected business house AB International.
Its chief, Ashok Bhatia, said he was not aware of details, but did believe Moshims was in financial problems. He confirmed that he was owed money by Moshims.
Asked whether he was worried about recovering the sum, Mr Bhatia said: “Naturally, as you can understand in these circumstances.”
Mr Bhatia said so far he had not received any calls from receivers or banks dealing with the Moshims closure.
Hashim Khan is also believed to have stepped down as president of the South Auckland Muslim Association. Rizwan Khan is acting president.
The group operated 27 stores – 25 in New Zealand and two in Australia – under the Moshims Discount House banner.
Nine stores were run by the Discount House Group while the others were franchised, jointly producing an income of $30 million, and employing more than 200 staff.
