The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) on Monday arraigned Fortless Global Concept Limited and Everyday Wine Shop and their representatives at the Federal Hight Court, Abuja on alleged tax evasion, obstruction of official duty and attack on staff of the FIRS on duty among other charges.
In the Charge No: FHC/ABJ/CR/48/2019, between the Federal Government of Nigeria (Complainant) and Fortless Global Concept Limited (also known as Fortless Supermarket and Stores and Chukwu Ejike (Defendants), the FIRS preferred a six-count charge bordering on tax evasion and assault on FIRS staff on duty on the defendants pursuant to Section 174 (1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (As Amended) and Section 47 of the FIRS Establishment Act No: 13, 2007.
Similarly, in the Charge No: FHC/ABJ/CR/47/2019, between the Federal Government of Nigeria (Complainant) and Everyday Wine Shop (also known as Everyday Wine Shop &Bar), Mbah Sunday and Epkeha Peter (Defendants), the FIRS preferred a six-count charge also bordering on tax evasion and assault on FIRS staff on duty on the defendants pursuant to Section 174 (1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (As Amended) and Section 47 of the FIRS Establishment Act No: 13, 2007.
Representatives of the two companies who are currently on administrative bail: Mbah Sunday and Epkeha Peter for Everyday Wine Shop and Chukwu Ejike for Fortless Global Concept pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Justice Taiwo O. Taiwo of the Federal High Court 10, Abuja granted the application of the leader of FIRS prosecution counsel, James Binang and scheduled March 21, 2019 for the FIRS to prove the charges against the defendants.
Following undertaking by the counsels of the defendants (Sanya Amos for Everyday Wine Shop and M. A Ejeh for Fortless Global Concept Limited) the Court also granted that the counsels should bring the defendants to Court on March 21st, 2019 for further hearing.
Binang said FIRS took the measures to prosecute the defendants to serve as a deterrent for other people who would want to evade taxes or tow the ignoble route of preventing tax officers from carrying out their official responsibilities.
“We cannot allow this to continue. Our staff were assaulted and their dresses torn. The FIRS wants to prosecute these cases to their logical conclusions to send signals to other people who would want to commit similar offences”, Binang told the Court.
Charges against Everyday Wine Shop are similar with the charges against Fortless Global Concept Limited.
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Some of the Charges against Everyday Wine Shop are:
“That you, Everyday Wine Shop (aka Everyday Wine Shop and Bar) 2. Mbah Sunday and 3. Epkeha Peter on or about the 24th day of January 2019 at the Federal Housing Estate, Lugbe, Abuja, within the Jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, being obliged to deduct and remit Value Added Tax (VAT) in the course of your business, conspired amongst yourselves to participate in Tax Evasion; and you thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 49(1) and (2) of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (Establishment) Act, No: 13, 2007.
“That you, Everyday Wine Shop (aka Everyday Wine Shop and Bar) 2. Mbah Sunday and 3. Epkeha Peter on or about the 24th day of January 2019 at the Federal Housing Estate, Lugbe, Abuja, within the Jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, being taxable persons conspired amongst yourselves to obstruct and assault authorised officers of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) in the course of the performance of their official functions; of pasting Value Added Tax (VAT) Non-Compliance Notice on business premises of persons and individuals adjudged by the Service to be Non Tax Compliant; and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 49(1) and (2) of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (Establishment) Act, No: 13, 2007.
“That you, Everyday Wine Shop (aka Everyday Wine Shop and Bar) 2. Mbah Sunday and 3. Epkeha Peter on or about the 24th day of January 2019 at the Federal Housing Estate, Lugbe, Abuja, within the Jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, being taxable persons conspired amongst yourselves obstructed and assaulted Miss Funke A. Shodunke, an authorised officers of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) in the course of the performance of their official functions; of pasting Value Added Tax (VAT) Non-Compliance Notice on business premises of persons and individuals adjudged by the Service to be Non Tax Compliant; and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 49(1) and (2) of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (Establishment) Act, No: 13, 2007”, the Charges read.
