Justice Mojishola Olatoregun-Ishola of a Federal High Court Lagos on Tuesday granted bail of N10 million each to two Chinese, Tao Shen and Jing Yau, charged with importation of sub-standard tyres.
Shen, 36, and Yau, 22, are charged alongside a Nigerian, Chinedu Madubuike, and two companies, Sino Nigeria Import and Export Limited and Nedeca International Limited.
The accused are standing trial on four counts bordering on importation of substandard products.
They were arraigned on March 20, and had each pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The court had, however, ordered their remand in prison and adjourned the case until March 21 to determine their bail.
Ruling on the applications for bail, separately filed by defence counsels, Victor Opara and Napoleon Nwachukwu, the court granted the accused N10 million bail to each with two sureties each in like sum.
In addition, Olatoregun-Ishola held that the two Chinese must submit their international passports and residential permits to the court’s Deputy Chief Registrar.
The judge also ordered the two companies named in the charge, to submit a bond of N10 million each.
On the sureties to be provided by the accused, the court held that the two sureties must be resident within the jurisdiction of the court and must also exhibit evidence of three years tax clearance.
Specifically, the court ordered counsel to the Chinese, Opara, to ensure that he does not produce professional sureties to stand in for the accused.
The court thereafter, fixed May 15, for trial.
In the charge, the accused were said to have committed the offences in February by conspiring to import tyres which did not meet the relevant Nigeria industrial standard.
They were alleged to have stuffed various sizes of tyres into one, knowing same to be in a dangerous state, or being injurious to human life.
The accused were said to have imported the tyres which did not comply with the mandatory Nigeria standard, on account of their stuffing different sizes into one, thereby making the tyres to be unfit for its purpose.
The tyres were said to have failed to meet the relevant Nigerian industrial standard and likely to endanger human lives.
Again, the accused were alleged to have failed to furnish returns on the conditions of the imported tyres as required by law.
The offences contravened sections 320 and 510 of the Criminal Code Act, Cap C38, Laws of the Federation, 2004.
It also contravened sections 26 and 32 of the Standard Organisation of Nigeria Act, No 14, Laws of the Federation, 2004.
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