ICPC convicts FIRS official, firm for N14m scam

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission has secured the conviction of a senior official of the Federal Inland Revenue Service, Mrs. Mubo Ikotun, and a company, Messrs Smith Nigeria Limited, for bribery and tax evasion.

A statement by the Resident Consultant (Media &Events), ICPC, Mr. Folu Olamiti, on Friday, said the conviction of the two was pronounced by a Lagos State High Court presided over by Justice O.A. WiIIiams in the suit with Charge No LCD/17/2008/ FRN v John Fagbemi and 4 others.

Messrs. Smith Nigeria Limited was convicted for allegedly bribing Ikotun (second accused) and some other staff members of the FIRS to reduce its tax liability from N13,938,985 to N441,653 in a fraudulent manner.

The company, according to the ICPC, got the tax relief through a fraudulent means and was issued a Tax Clearance Certificate upon paying the sum of N441, 635 to the FIRS.

Ikotun, a superior officer to Fagbemi (first accused), also of FIRS, was alleged to have used her office to solicit and receive a cash gratification of N2.5m to grant the tax relief to the company.

The court, however, acquitted and discharged Fagbemi.

The court also freed Mrs A. Temowo (third accused) and Mr. K. Oduneye (fourth accused,) the consultants who negotiated the bribe on behalf of the company.

Messrs. Smith Nigeria Limited was convicted for conspiracy to effect the payment of gratification and also for its failure to report the obtaining of the gratification.

According to the ICPC’s testimony before the court, Ikotun, upon receiving the gratification, proceeded to purchase a Skoda Octavia salon car, which she had converted to personal use.

She equally concealed the ownership of the car, while declining to produce the car to officials of the ICPC who made a request to that effect in the process of their investigation.

A petition detailing the tax evasion scam was submitted to the ICPC in 2006.

The court, however, adjourned the imposition of sentences on both convicted accused persons to November 4 this year.