A statement by the Resident Consultant (Media
&Events), ICPC, Mr. Folu Olamiti, on Friday, said the conviction of the two
was pronounced by a Lagos State High Court presided over by Justice O.A.
WiIIiams in the suit with Charge No LCD/17/2008/ FRN v John Fagbemi and 4
others.
Messrs. Smith Nigeria Limited was convicted for
allegedly bribing Ikotun (second accused) and some other staff members of the
FIRS to reduce its tax liability from N13,938,985 to N441,653 in a fraudulent
manner.
The company, according to the ICPC, got the tax
relief through a fraudulent means and was issued a Tax Clearance Certificate
upon paying the sum of N441, 635 to the FIRS.
Ikotun, a superior officer to Fagbemi (first
accused), also of FIRS, was alleged to have used her office to solicit and
receive a cash gratification of N2.5m to grant the tax relief to the company.
The court, however, acquitted and discharged
Fagbemi.
The court also freed Mrs A. Temowo (third
accused) and Mr. K. Oduneye (fourth accused,) the consultants who negotiated
the bribe on behalf of the company.
Messrs. Smith Nigeria Limited was convicted for
conspiracy to effect the payment of gratification and also for its failure to
report the obtaining of the gratification.
According to the ICPC’s testimony before the
court, Ikotun, upon receiving the gratification, proceeded to purchase a Skoda
Octavia salon car, which she had converted to personal use.
She equally concealed the ownership of the car,
while declining to produce the car to officials of the ICPC who made a request
to that effect in the process of their investigation.
A petition detailing the tax evasion scam was
submitted to the ICPC in 2006.
The court, however, adjourned the imposition of
sentences on both convicted accused persons to November 4 this year.
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