(NIGERIA) A Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt has sentenced a fake wine producer, Sunday Okeke to 11 years imprisonment over his involvement in the production of adulterated and fake National Agency for Food Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) regulated alcoholic beverages.
The offence is said to be in contravention of section 1 of Drugs and Regulated Products (Registration etc) Act of 1993 as amended and punishable under section 6 (1) of the same Act.
The court, presided over by Justice R. M. Aikawa found the convict guilty of all four count charges proffered against him by NAFDAC through its lawyer, Mohammed Bello who is head, legal division of the agency.
Justice Aikawa maintained that NAFDAC has proved its case beyond reasonable doubt that the accused actually committed the offence as averred by the prosecution.
The agency it would be recalled had informed the judge that Okeke on or about December 31, 2003 produced/manufactured, labeled and packaged unwholesome drinks: Bacchus Tonic Wine, King Edward Centurion and Glen Garry Gold Blended Scotch without batch numbers.
The offence the lawyer insisted contravenes section 1 (a) of Counterfeit and Fake Drugs and Unwholesome Processed Foods (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act of 1999 and punishable under section 3 of the same Act.
Justice Aikawa declared that the sentence is to run concurrently on all the four count charges.
The judge however gave an option of fine to the tune of six hundred thousand naira (N600,000.00), 5 years each on count 2 & 3 or an option of fine to the tune of N250,000 each and six months each on count 1 and 4 or an option of fine to the tune of N50,000 each.
Okeke was arrested and brought to NAFDAC office in December 2003 by men of the Nigerian Air Force for producing fake and adulterated alcoholic beverages (Bacchus Tonic Wine, King Edward Centurion and Glen Garry Gold Blended Scotch) at Air Force Base Mamy market, Port Harcourt.
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