Society Gists

A civil servant and a tax consultant, who allegedly forged a tax clearance receipt to steal N4.5m from Lagos State Government, on Monday appeared before an Ikeja Magistrate’s Court.

Thirty-nine-year-old Kenechukwu Okoye, an employee of Lagos State Internal Revenue Service, and 34-year-old Emmanuel Okeh, a tax consultant, are facing a three-count charge of conspiracy, stealing and forgery.

They, however, pleaded not guilty.

Okoye and Okeh allegedly connived with two others still at large to forge a tax clearance receipt to divert the amount from April to June, 2015, at Alausa, Ikeja.

The prosecutor, Sgt. Babaji Ishaku, told the court that the case was reported by Mrs. Abiodun Kehinde of LIRS, Iju Tax Station.

According to Ishaku, the accused and the others diverted a bank draft of N4.5m brought by Solpic Nig. Ltd for Lagos State Government.

“Instead of the accused to pay the money into the government account, they diverted the draft and converted it to cash for their own personal use,’’ he said.

Ishaku added that the accused forged a tax clearance receipt for the said amount and issued it to the company.

He submitted that the offences contravened sections 285, 363 and 409 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.‎

The Magistrate, Mr. J. A. Adegun, granted each of the the accused N400,000 bail, with two sureties each in like sum.

He ordered that the sureties must be gainfully employed and have evidence of tax payment to the Lagos State Government.

Adeguna adjourned the case till April 19 for substantive trial. (NAN)