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.”
http://nationalmirroronline.net/new/buhari-plans-special-court-for-corruption/
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