The Federal High Court, Lagos, on Thursday, ordered the prison remand of Managing Director of Richbon Nigeria Limited, Cajethan Muonagolu, following his arraignment by the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) through the Federal Ministry of Justice.
He was arraigned on a four-count charge for dealing in adulterated and substandard engine oil.
Justice Saliu Saidu granted him bail for N50 million with two sureties in like sum. One of the sureties, the judge said, must be a civil/public servant not less than Grade Level 15 in the employment of the Federal or Lagos State Government.
The other surety, according to the judge, must be the defendant’s relation who owns a landed property within the court’s jurisdiction.
The court also ordered the sureties to deposit their recent passport photographs, while Muonagolu must deposit his international passport with the court’s Registrar. And that the prosecutor and court’s registrar are to verify the sureties’ addresses.
Justice Saidu ordered that Muonagolu should be remanded in prison until he meets his bail terms.
Arguing the bail defendant’s bail application, his counsel, Goke Olagunlehin, holding the brief of Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN), urged the court to grant his client bail on liberal terms.
But SON’s prosecuting counsel, Babatunde Alajogun leading Adeleke Olofindare, opposed the bail application on the ground that Muonagolu allegedly committed another offence while the charge was pending.
Alajogun said the defendant broke and removed SON’s official seal and evacuated 15, 000 cartons of suspected adulterated/substandard engine oil from his company, adding that the defendant allegedly assaulted SON officials in the course of their lawful duties.
The court presided over by Justice Saliu Saidu, ordered the prosecuting counsel and defence counsel to visit the warehouse to ascertain the breaking of the seal or otherwise.
Muonagolu and his company allegedly committed the offence last December 12 at ASPAMDA Trade Fair Complex, Lagos Badagry Expressway.
SON said they conspired to deal in 15,000 cartons of Prime Plasma, Prime ATF and Stanley brand of engine oil which it said are substandard.
The prosecution said the defendants claimed that the products were genuine, contrary to Section 3 (6) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act of 2004.
They also allegedly failed to comply with SON Conformity Assessment Programe (MANCAP) by dealing in engine oil that did not have the requisite MANCAP certification.
The defendants’ arraignment is coming less than a month after SON arraigned four men; Uche Johnson, Olaide Shittu, Kingsley Meteke and Abdulquadri Olayinka before Justice Oluremi Oguntoyibo of the same court, over alleged adulteration of 128 drums and 9.45 litres of engine oil.
The defendants allegedly claimed that the products with genuine engine oil and sold them to unsuspecting motorists.
Their trial is ongoing.
SON undertook a nationwide raid on suspected adulterated and substandard lubricants in response to consumer complaints about engine failures caused by substandard oil.
The Organisation is also prosecuting other standards infractions relating to adulterated and substandard lubricants across the country.
Justice Saidu has adjourned Muonagolu’s trial till May 20.