(a) No employee, agent, or officer of the department, directly or indirectly, shall have any interest whatsoever in manufacturing, selling, transporting, distributing, storing, or otherwise dealing in alcoholic beverages, except in the performance of his official duties.

(b) The commissioner may provide by rule for the exemption of employees of the department from the provisions of this Code section so as to permit employment within the alcoholic beverage trade when such employment would pose no conflict of interest or interference with the performance by the employee of his duties as an employee of the department. This subsection shall not apply with respect to employees having responsibility for enforcement of this title.