Court Remands ‎Chinese, Nigerian Accused Of Importing Fake Tyres Into Nigeria

Justice Mojisola Olatoregun of the Federal High Court in Lagos yesterday remanded two Chinese citizens, Taolung Shem and Xu Jimg Yao, and their Nigerian accomplice, Chinedu Madubuike in prison custody for allegedly importing sub-standard automobile tyres worth about N5bn into the Nigeria.

The judge ordered that the trio be kept in prison custody after they were arraigned before the court alongside their companies, Sino Nigeria Limited, Nedeca International Limited on a five count charge of conspiracy, counterfeiting and illegal importation by the federal government.

But Madubuike, who was listed on the charge as the fifth defendant, was arraigned in absentia as his lawyer, Napoleon
Nwachukwu, informed the court that his client was “seriously” sick.

In the four charges, the federal government accused the Chinese and their alleged accomplices of conspiring “among yourselves to import tyres, which did not meet the relevant Nigeria industrial standards.”

The accused persons were also alleged to have stuffed various sizes of tyres into one another, an act, the Federal Government said, constituted a danger to the Nigerian populace.

They were said to have committed the alleged offence sometime in the month of February 2017.

According to the prosecuting counsel, Yusuff Lawan the offence is contrary to and punishable under Section 26 (2)(b)(iii) of the Standards Organisation Act No. 14, 2015 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.

The accused persons, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge, when it was read and interpreted to the Chinese citizens by one Fred Guichu Zhong, from the Chinese High Commission in Nigeria.

Their Nigerian co-defendants equally pleaded not guilty.

After their plea was taken, Lawan, urged Justice Olatoregun to fix a date for commencement of trial, adding that the prosecution had four witnesses to call to prove the charges.

But counsel to the two chinese, and the Nigerian, Madubuike informed the court of a pending bail applications he filed on behalf his clients.

They urged the court to grant their client bail in the most liberal term.

Justice Olatoregun has adjourned the matter till today for ruling on the bail applications.

She however, ordered that the defendants should remanded in prison’s custody pending the ruling.