Federal government has arraigned two South Koreans, Son Chun Gili, Jung Wookshin and three others before the Federal High Court in Lagos for attacking, assaulting, and detaining five officials of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS).
The foreigners were docked before the court alongside two Nigerians, Akeem Idowu, Chikwendu Emeka, and a company, Solpia Nigeria Limited, on a three-count charge of conspiracy, obstruction, and assault.
The prosecutor, Moses Idaho, had told the court that the defendants committed the offence at 46, Iju Road, in Lagos, on August 29, 2022.
Idaho alleged that the victims of the crime were: Idogo Adah, Gbolagade Dada, Mustapha Ismail, Akingbade Olatunji, and Dayak Klinger.
The lawyer claimed that the FIRS Officials had visited the defendants’ office to scrutinise the company’s books and documents for tax evaluation.
He said the offence violated Sections 41(a) of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (Establishment) Act of 2007 and was punishable under Section 41(d) of the Federal inland Revenue Service (Establishment) Act 2007.
All the defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Based on their pleas, Idaho urged the court to fix a trial date and also remand the defendants in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Services until the determination of the charge.
But the defence counsel, asked the court to admit his clients to bail in the most liberal terms, arguing that their bail applications have been filed and served on the prosecution.
In his ruling on the bail application, Justice Oweibo granted the defendants bail in the sum of N1 million with one surety in like sum each.
The judge ordered that the sureties must be landed property owners within the Court’s jurisdiction.
Before adjourning the matter till November 16 for trial, the court released the defendants to their lawyers and gave them two weeks to perfect their bail conditions, after which they will be remanded in prison.
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