26th January, 2016
Jethro Ibileke/Benin
A Benin-based lawyer, Kingsley Obamogie, was Tuesday dragged before a Mobile Revenue Court sitting in Benin, by the Edo State Board of Internal Revenue Board, over failure to file tax returns.
Obamogie was arraigned on a two count charge bothering on failure to file his Personal Income Tax returns for the year 2013 and 2014.
According to Prosecution, the offence is punishable under section 94 (1) of the Personal Income Tax Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 as amended.
When the case was mentioned, Counsel to Obamogie, Ighodalo Imadegbelo, SAN, filed a motion for preliminary objection challenging the jurisdiction of the court to entertain the matter.
Ighodalo also applied for a date for report of settlement of the matter out of court.
Counsel to the Revenue Board, Kingsley Odabi, while agreeing with Ighodalo, however insisted that hearing on the matter would begin at the next adjourned date if the settlement fails.
The trial Judge, Justice Joe Acha, adjourned the matter to February 17 for report of settlement of hearing on the preliminary objection.
The Judge however convicted the Ever Well Table Water Company for failure to submit tax returns from January 2012 to September 2013.
Acha ordered representative of the company to be put behind bars for two months or pay a fine of N50,000 and an additional N10,000 as cost of litigation.