The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has sued an aluminium coil company, SSL Industry Company Limited and two of its Chinese directors, Liu Qiang and Shi Shuai, over alleged N1.2 billion tax evasion.
The allegations, contained in EFCC’s charge sheet marked FHC/ABJ/CR/30/2024, accused the defendants of failing to deduct and pay the Federal Inland Revenue Service(FIRS), its due Value Added Tax(VAT).
The alleged tax default was said to have happened between 2019 and 2021 despite the company’s operations in the country.
Also joined in the case is Barrister Babatunde Ayeni, whom the EFCC identified as the company’s lawyer.
The anti-graft’s lawyer, Samuel I. Chime Esq, alleged that Ayeni delivered false income tax returns on behalf of the company, to relevant bodies.
The suit is amid the federal government’s prosecution of alleged tax evasive foreign companies including Binance Limited.
In the charge sheet seen by Naijaonpoint, the EFCC asked Justice Inyang Ekwo to convict the defendants for tax evasion.
The charge reads,
Today was fixed for the arraignment of the defendants by the EFCC.
But none of them were in court to take their plea.
Justice Ekwo further adjourned the case to October 22, 2024 for arraignment.
Naijaonpoint gathered that the two directors had absconded and departed to China and there are moves to extradite them to face trial.