Special courts to prosecute sundry tax
evasion cases and official graft are to be
set up by President- elect, Gen.
Muhammadu Buhari (rtd), it was gathered
yesterday.
The courts, which will be in the Federal
Capital Territory, would deal strictly with
corruption and tax evasion offences by
companies, individuals and government
officials.
The courts are expected to lift the burden
of excruciating and delayed trials of
offenders by regular courts so that the
next government can get fast results in its
avowed war against corruption.
Chairman of the Anti- Money Laundering
and Cyber Security Coalition at the
National Assembly, Senator Aloysius Etok,
disclosed yesterday that the coalition of
senators and members of the House of
Representatives had already got the nod
of the President-elect to set up the courts.
Etok expressed optimism that the courts,
when established, will take off the burden
of such cases from the regular courts and
give them accelerated hearing.
“We are confident that these courts will
give accelerated hearing to tax evasion
cases and other cases bothering on
corruption,” he said.
Senator Etok disclosed that the National
Assembly is probing about 115 tax
offenders.
Besides, the lawmaker also revealed that
senators in the course of investigations
found that about 50 contracting firms
working with the Federal Ministry of Works
operate with forged tax certificates.
Among the companies that may come
under the hammer of the National
Assembly for tax evasion amounting to
billions of Naira, according to the
committee and the ICPC, are Arab
Contractors, Septa Energy, Tower
Aluminum, B. Stabilini and 112 others.
Etok also disclosed that the legislature
was pushing for the prosecution of
companies with high rate of casualised
workers and fraudulent expatriate quota
practices.
The lawmaker warned that with sustained
evasion of taxes by companies, agencies
like the Universal Basic Education
Commission, UBEC, Tertiary Education
Trust Fund, TETFUND, Niger Delta
Development Commission, NDDC, would
fold up, as according to him, the agencies
depend on taxes for survival.
The ICPC, in a document submitted to the
Senate, stated that: “In view of the
Financial Intelligence analysis carried out
by the commission on the plethora of
petitions received on issues bothering on
Tax Clearance Certificates scam,
investigation led to the uncovering of tax
evasion, nonpayment of Capital Gains
Taxes, nonremittance of Withholding Tax
and Value Added Tax, VAT.”
The commission regretted the serial
breach of the procurement process with
the collaboration of procurement officers.
“Procurement is an area that has long
been recognised as being particularly
vulnerable to corruption because public
procurement through government
contracting represents a substantial
percentage of the economy,” the
document stated.
Meanwhile, former British Prime Minister,
Mr. Tony Blair, yesterday visited General
Buhari and assured him of the support and
cooperation of the international
community.
He stated that the entire world was
excited with the outcome of the March 28,
2015 presidential election in the country.
Blair explained that the global support was
predicated on the belief that the President-
elect and his vice are determined to do
their best for the country.
According to him, Nigeria has earned the
respect of the international community
because of the way the elections were
conducted without rancour.
In an opening speech before the duo
retired into a closed-door meeting, Blair
said: “In the last few weeks, Nigeria has
earned respect throughout the whole
world. There is enormous support for
Nigeria now in the international
community. The support takes into
consideration the challenges that lie
ahead and there is great confidence in the
country.
“This is an election which took place in a
way which the country showed the
majority of democracies the spirit and
character of its people and in the
President- elect and Vice President- elect;
it is a leadership that I know is determined
to do its best for the country.
“Obviously, the future and destiny of
Nigeria lie in the hands of its people. I just
want to say to the President-elect that
there is tremendous support for you and
the country at this moment and all of us,
in whatever way we can, stand ready to
support you and help you.
“It is a moment of great challenges which
bothers on the life of the people as well as
their security and so on.
“If the same spirit and character that
defined the election can be taken through
these coming years to address the
challenges, I think we can all have great
confidence in the times ahead.”
Buhari who later briefed the press on the
outcome of the parley said: “We had a
meeting and discussed how Britain and the
United States were helping us in making
sure that we conducted ourselves
according to our constitution.
“The fact that it (election) has been so
successful is a major relief for us and to all
people of conscience throughout the
world.
“I thank the former British Prime Minister
for his concern for Nigeria and Nigerians,
in what he is prepared to do by continuing
to help us as a country and as a people.”
Source: NationalMirror

Better if this will minimise corruption in this country