Again Court Demands For Okocha’s Arrest Over Tax

MICHAEL AKINOLA

Nigeria’s ex-international and former Captain of the Super Eagles, Austin ‘Jayjay’ Okocha, is in the news again as a Lagos Court has ordered for his arrest over tax evasion.

P.M.EXPRESS reports that Justice Adedayo Akintoye of the Lagos State High Court sitting in Igbosere, Lagos, again issued another bench warrant for the arrest of former Super Eagles Captain, JayJay Okocha, for failure to resolve tax issues with the Lagos State Government. It was not certain why Okocha had not resolved the issues of tax debt with the State government which warranted the issue of bench warrant.
The judge, Akintoye, arrived at the decision after entertaining arguments that the former Nigerian football star was yet to liquidate the alleged tax owed the Lagos State Government.

Lawyer to the Lagos State Government, Y. A. Pitan, intimated the Court that Austin Okocha had visited the Lagos Internal Revenue Service (LIRS) office but failed to settle the 2017 income tax evasion charge out of court.

This is the third time the judge is issuing a bench warrant against Okocha. It would be recalled that the bench warrant was originally made last January 29. Like in previous proceedings, Okocha was neither in court nor represented by a lawyer when the case was called.
Pitan had then notified the court of steps the prosecution had taken to effect the arrest warrant.

According to her, “The LIRS informed us that the defendant (Okocha) visited their office.
“He went there to reconcile accounts. He hasn’t settled yet.”
Pitan begged the court for more time and this made the judge to adjourn till October 10, 2019.
The Lagos State Government had informed Justice Akintoye that Okocha had failed to appear in court since October 5, 2017, when the case first came up.
It had instituted a three-count charge against Okocha on June 6, 2017, accusing him of:
“Failure to furnish return of income for tax purposes with the Lagos State Internal Revenue Service contrary to Section 94 (1) of the Personal Income Tax Act Cap P8 Laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 2004 (As Amended).
“Failure to pay income tax contrary to Section 56(a) and (b) of the Lagos State Revenue Administration Law No. 8 of 2006.Failure to furnish return of Income for tax purposes with the Lagos State Internal Revenue Service contrary to Section 94(1) of the Personal Income Tax Act Cap P8 Laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 2004.