The Ondo State Board of Internal Revenue has sued Conoil Producing Limited for alleged tax evasion before the state high court in Akure, the state’s capital.

The state, in the suit marked Ak/16/2019, alleged that Conoil evaded taxes and rates which included land use charge, business premises, environmental fees and others.

In the court papers made available to our correspondent by the counsel for the state, Mr Adebayo Ogunsuyi, the state claimed that the oil firm was indebted to it to the tune of millions of naira in unremitted taxes and rates.

The state claimed that since it began doing business in Ondo State Conoil had never remitted any tax to the state.

According to the petition, the representatives of government, on several occasions, had met with officials of the company on how to settle the alleged unremitted tax but the latter did not respond.

The petition read, “The respondent has failed, refused and neglected to pay the outstanding tax liabilities despite the assurances made with the petitioner to make the money available.

“The respondent, from the record, has not been paying taxes levies or rate to the Ondo State Government since it commences business in Ondo State.”

The state’s counsel, Ogunsuyi, said, “The Ondo State Board of Internal Revenue has exchanged many correspondences, including demand notices, and had met with Conoil on the tax liabilities but the company did not pay till date. This is why the suit was filed in the court.”