MAYOWA SAMUEL
The Federal Inland Revenue Service has clarified the circumstances surrounding the ongoing case involving some ex-directors and some members of staff of the service for fraud and embezzlement by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, saying the matter predated the appointment of Muhammad Nami as the Chairman of the service. A Federal High Court, Abuja is hearing the case.
Abdullahi Ahmad, Director, Communications and Liaison, stated on Wednesday in a statement that “the case followed a petition to the EFCC about the alleged fraudulent practices which the accused allegedly committed between 2017 and 2018.
“At the latest hearing of the matter on Wednesday, June 23, 2021 the court fixed the trial date for the case on September 28, 2021.
“The members of staff are answering charges concerning embezzling Duty Tour Allowances (DTA) approved by the erstwhile management. They were arraigned on a 42-count charge bordering on corruption, fraud and criminal misappropriation of funds punishable under the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended in 2012).
“However, on the assumption of office by the new management, the Board of the Service promptly directed it to take the matter before the Staff and Management Disciplinary Committee for necessary disciplinary processes to be activated to deal with the situation. In line with this directive, the Human Capital Management Department of the FIRS subsequently investigated the matter and thereafter issued queries to the concerned members of staff to give the serving officers a fair hearing.
“The Service had since completed the internal administrative processes as provided in its Human Resources Policies handbook as it relates to the officers still in service. The outcome of this procedure has been kept in abeyance pending the outcome of the ongoing court process”.
The management of FIRS then appealed to taxpayers and stakeholders to continue to have confidence in its capacity to deal with internal issues while not also losing sight of its mandate of generating tax revenue for the government.
