Austin Okocha: Lagos high court re-issues arrest warrant for former Super Eagles captain
- Austin Okocha's arrest warrant has been re-issued by a Lagos high court
- The former Super Eagles midfielder was accused of evading tax in the state
- Jay Jay has also refused to appear at the court since he was first charged to court two year back
A Lagos high court has re-issued an arrest warrant for former Super Eagles captain Austin 'Jay Jay' Okocha over tax evasion case.
The ex-Paris Saint Germain and Bolton Wanderers midfielder had earlier this year been charged to court by the Lagos State Ministry of Justice on a three-count charge.
According to report, Okocha was said to have refused to give account of return of income of his businesses in the state.
Meanwhile, News Agency of Nigeria report that a Lagos State prosecutor, Y. A. Pitan, has told a high court sitting in Igbosere that the former Nigerian star has not liquidated the alleged tax debt he owed the state.
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Mrs Pitan told Justice Adebayo Akintoye on Tuesday that Mr Okocha had visited the Lagos Internal Revenue Service (LIRS) office but failed to settle the 2017 income tax.
"The LIRS informed us that the defendant (Mr Okocha) visited their office. He went there to reconcile accounts but has not settled yet,” she said.
The prosecutor further stated that the accused has refused to appear in court since October 5, 2017, when the case first came up.
The publication further revealed that neither Okocha, nor his representatives were present at the hearing earlier today and the judge renewed the warrant for his arrest for the third time.
Mr Akintoye who had earlier issued an arrest warrant on Mr Okocha on January 29 adjourned the case until October 10 for further directions.
Okocha was on June 6, 2017 had been charged to court on a three count charge after being accused of failure to furnish LIRS return of income for tax purposes, and failure to pay income tax.
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She said the offences contravened Section 56(a) and (b) of the Lagos State Revenue Administration Law No. 8 of 2006.
The prosecutor said the offences also contravened Section 94 (1) of the Personal Income Tax Act Cap P8 Laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 2004 (As Amended).
Legit.ng earlier reported that Austin Jay-Jay Okocha has been again issued an arrest warrant by the Lagos state High Court in a ruling reportedly delivered by Justice Adedayo Akintoye.
According to the latest report on Vanguard, the former Nigeria international was accused of alleged tax evasion, which forced the court to issue a bench warrant.
Lagos state government had accused the former Paris-Saint-Germain star of tax fraud which he reportedly failed to settle two years ago.
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