The National Agency for Food and Drugs Agency Administration Control (NAFDAC), today arraigned the Managing Director of a popular juice, Tasty Time Nigeria Limited, Mr. Isaac Kole, before a Federal High Court, Lagos, on a four-count charge of producing fake products.
Isaac Kole was arraigned before Justice Hadiza Rabiu-Shagari led-court along side his Company, Tasty Time Nigeria Limited NAFDAC.
NAFDAC in a charge marked FHC/L/351c/17, alleged that Kole and his company have been using his firm located at 1, Kole Street, Ipaja, Lagos, have been producing unregistered Tasty Time products which include: Tasty Time juice, Glucosaid Energy drink, Tasty Time Pops orange flovour drink, Tasty Time Fitz Apple drink, and Tasty Time mixed orange flavor drink.
They were also alleged to have package, labeled the said Tasty Time products in a manner likely to create wrong impression that they are genuine
NAFDAC further alleged that the defendants also sold the same unregistered products to the general public.
The offences according to the prosecutor, Mrs. Okon Chinyere, are contrary to sections 1(1), 5(a) and 5(e), and punishable under sections 6(1)(a) and 17(4) of Foods and Drugs and related Products Cap. F33, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
The defendant pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Following the defendants pleaded of not guilty, their lawyer, Dayo Adamolekun, pleaded with the court to admit his clients bail on self recognisance, alternatively, on the most liberal terms.
Adamolekun hinged his application on his client’s health status, adding that the first defendant, Kole, is an elder statesman, and an employee of labour, who has over 400 employees in his firm.
Furthermore, Adamolekun told the court that due to the charge that is hanging on his client’s neck, his company has been sealed, and the 400 workers are now jobless.
He also stated that bail is constitutional rights of his client as guarantee by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
In response to the application, the NAFDAC’s lawyer, Mrs. Okon, did not opposed the bail application.
She also told the court that the defendant have been on administrative bail which was grantee to him by the agency.
In her short ruling, the presiding judge, Justice Rabiu-Shagari, said I need view of the plea of the defendant and base on his health issue, she will not ask the defendant to go to the prison, but continue to enjoy the administrative bail granted them till Monday, when she will rule on the his bail application.
The judge however ordered the defendant to produce a director either from the federal or Lagos State Ministry, Parastatals Departments or Agencies (MDAs), who will sign an undertaken to produce him in court on Monday, for ruling on his bail application.
