Edo lawmaker in court over alleged tax forgery

A member representing Etsako West state constituency in Edo State House of Assembly, Mr. Philip Shuaibu, was yesterday docked at a Benin High court over a six- count charge of forging his tax clearance to contest for the 2007 election.
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) had in charge sheet with reference number  8/ICPC/1/13, dated October 8, 2013, accused the All Progressive Congress (APC) lawmaker of committing the offence in July 2000.

The anti-graft agency in the document, signed by its assistant legal officer, Mr. Dennis Idoko, stated that Shuaibu made false statement knowingly to the operatives by stating that he was an employee of Zaknote Nigeria Ventures Limited from 2003 to 2006.
Besides, the commission stated that Hon. Shuaibu had in November 2006 furnished false information to officers of the Edo State Board of Internal Revenue when he applied for his income tax clearance certificate and claimed that the application was made by the management of Zaknote Nigeria Ventures Limited- an offence punishable under

Section 25 (1) (b) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act.
Prosecuting counsel, Barrister G. O Igbadome, told the court that effort to serve the lawmaker had proved abortive, even as he asked that the charges be read to the accused in court.
Counsel to the accused, Ken Mozia (SAN) however argued that the accused can’t take his plea because he need time to respond to the issues raised in the charge sheet.