Three salesmen on Monday appeared before a Tinubu Magistrates’ Court in Lagos State for allegedly conspiring to stealing 720 cartons of Gino tomato paste valued at N16.2 million.
The defendants, Chinedu Oluwa, 22, Emenike Orji, 25, and Patrick Agore, 29, are facing a two-count charge of conspiracy and stealing, to which the trio pleaded not guilty.
The prosecutor, ASP Ben Ekundayo, told the court that the defendants committed the offences between June 2020 and January 2021 at Aswani Market, Lagos.
Ekundayo said the defendants, who are sales representatives, stole 720 cartons of Gino tomato paste belonging to their employer, GB Foods.
He added that the three defendants siphoned some cartons of tomato paste every time the goods were supplied and stole a total of 720 cartons, all valued at N16.2 million.
Ekundayo said the offences contravened Sections 287 (7) and 411 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
The Magistrate, A.A. Paul, granted the three defendants N1million bail with one surety each in like sum.
Paul adjourned the case until March 24 for mention.