The Federal Inland Revenue Service on Thursday charged 29 suspects
before the Federal High Court, Abuja, for alleged forgery of the
Companies Income Tax Clearance Certificate.
Two of the 29 accused and a printing firm allegedly used for the work
were arraigned before the court where they pleaded ‘not guilty’.
Other suspects will be arraigned in Ibadan, Lagos, Abeokuta and Kaduna
for similar offences.
FIRS‘s spokesman, Mr. Wahab Gbadamosi, said the suspects were arrested
at various locations in Kaduna, Suleja, Gwagwalada, Garki, Ibadan,
Port Harcourt and Lagos, where they allegedly gave out fake tax
clearance certificates.
He said printing machines were also recovered from some of the suspects.
The two suspects arraigned in Abuja, Chijoke Silas Eze and Raphael
Osike, are to remain in prison custody till December 9, when the case
will come up.
After rejecting their oral applications for bail, Justice Adamu Bello
ordered that the suspects be taken to prison for custody.
The judge ordered them to file a written application for bail.
In two other cases, the FIRS also filed forgery charges against seven
accused persons: Peter Idezi, Mathias Zakari, Ariyo Lasisi, Lateef
Adetoye, Ngozi Okoromi, Mr. Eze Orluogo and Salvation Stainless Press
before the Federal High Court, Abuja.
Their pleas were not taken.
The charges were filed pursuant to section 174 (1) of the 1999
Constitution and Section 47 of the Federal Inland Revenue
Establishment Act No. 13 of 2007.
The commission said Thursday’s arraignment signalled the tax agency’s
renewed onslaught against forged tax clearance certificates.



Tax Clearance Certificate Forgery: FIRS Drags 5 To Court
October 29, 2009 14:34, 18 views
By Azeez Adelaja
The board of Federal Inland Revenue Services (FIRS) has arraigned five
members of a syndicate before three different judges at the Federal
High Court in Lagos.
They  were alleged to have been engaged in counterfeiting  tax
clearance certificates.
According to a criminal charge number FHC/L/365C/09 preferred against
the first three accused persons, Wasiu Agbaje, Kasim Alesu and Amuni
Quam, by the Assistant Director of Legal Services, FIRS, Mr. James
Binang, sometime in October this year, in the name of  Steve
Enterprises Nigeria Limited, they made a counterfeit company’s income
tax clearance certificate with serial number 05240152 and file number
V/1012456162  purportedly issued on 20 May, 2009.
The said counterfeit income tax clearance certificate was presented to
Deputy Superintendent of Police, Okechi Agora, at a fee of N7,000.
The three accused persons, who were arraigned before Justice Abang
Anan, pleaded not guilty. Consequent upon this, the case was adjourned
till 25 November, this year.
Similarly, Adewale Bolujo, another member of the syndicate, who was
also  accused of forging a company’s tax clearance certificate, was
arraigned before Justice Tijani Abubakar.
The forged clearance certificate with serial number 05234215 and file
Ref No. KN06259760 purportedly issued on 20 May, 2009 was in favour of
Sadiq Associated Limited and unlawfully presented to one Supol
Danjuma Mohammed for the sum of N7,000.
He also pleaded not guilty to the charge and the case was adjourned
till 25 November.
The last accused person, who was supposed to be arraigned before
Justice Binta Murtala Nyako, had his arraignment adjourned till 3
November, as the court did not sit.
Meanwhile, the prosecutor, Mr. Binang, has lined up five witnesses to
prosecute the case.
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