Senate indicts firms over N30tr fraud

The Senate panel investigating allegations of N30 trillion revenue leakages in Forex and the entire import and export value chain, between 2006 and 2016 has provided incriminating evidences against some firms.

The Senate Joint Committee on Customs, Excise and Tariff, and Marine

Transport, chaired by Senator Hope Uzodinma (PDP, Imo) gave the private firms numbering about 30, a week to clear their names.

At an investigative hearing yesterday, Uzodinma handed over copies of documents detailing the alleged infractions to representatives of the companies.

The documents include a list of 2,554 shipments with infractions pertaining unutilised Bill of Laden.

Uzodinma told the companies to come back Thursday with their defence, adding that “Our position is that if there is anything new, outside what we have submitted and presented to you, show us. Let us see that you paid the right duties and you will continue with your businesses. That is what we are saying.

“We will have to meet on Thursday. If there is anything you need like clarifications, you can consult with our secretariat,” he said.

On the Chief Executive Officers of 16 companies that were threatened with arrest warrant over failure to appear before the panel, Uzodinma said some of the CEOs appeared yesterday. to