Senate threatens CEOs with arrest warrant over N30tr probe

A Senate panel has threatened 16 Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of private companies including that of the Glo Mobile, over their failure to appear before it in the ongoing probe of N30 trillion revenue leakages.

The joint Senate Committee on Customs, Excise and Tariff and Marine Transport chaired by Senator Hope Uzodinma(PDP, Imo) made the threat yesterday during an investigative meeting with some of the firms.

The Senate had mandated the joint committee to carry out a holistic investigation into alleged N30 trillion revenue leakages in Forex and the entire import and export value chain between 2006 and 2016.

Other CEOs threatened with arrest warrant are those of the British American Tobacco Company, CCEC Nigeria Ltd, Dana Group, African Wire and Allied Ltd, Admiral Overseas Nigeria Ltd and Aarti Steel Nigeria Ltd.

Also included are Gagsel International, Fries Capina, Etco Land Nigeria Ltd, Encounter Ltd, Edic Chemicals &Allied Distributors Ltd, Don Climax Group and De United Foods.

Uzodinma said refusal by the firms to honour the invitation was disrespect for the institution of the National Assembly and would not be tolerated.

He said of the 30 firms invited between Tuesday and Wednesday, only 14 appeared before the committee.

Uzodinma said: “It is only in Nigeria that the Senate will invite an entity for an interactive session, particularly in a case that bothers on investigation, financial mismanagement, infractions and the company will be complacent. The companies will not be willing to come or sometimes send junior officers.

``I have directed and we are working with security agencies, that any company that is invited and has something to explain and refuses to appear, we will issue a warrant for such persons to be arrested. We are giving them the final opportunity to appear and if they fail, we will issue a warrant,” he said.