The development was confirmed by the Director, Communications and Liaison Department of the FIRS, Mr. Emmanuel Obeta.
Obeta, who spoke with our correspondent
in a telephone interview, stated that contrary to media reports, the
businessman was not arrested.
“He (Ibrahim) was invited by the FIRS to
come and make some clarifications regarding issues bordering on tax
liabilities,” he said.
When asked if Ibrahim was detained, the FIRS director said the businessman was only quizzed and asked to go.
“When you invite someone to come and
make explanations and the invitation is honoured, the logical thing to
do is to allow the person to go,” he said.
Ibrahim and the FIRS had in recent times been engaged in series of issues bothering on failure to remit taxes.
For instance, in June last year, the
FIRS arrested the Managing Director, Air Nigeria Limited, Mr. Kinfe
Kayssay, for the company’s alleged failure to remit N4.86bn tax
liabilities to the Federal Government.
Air Nigeria is owned by Ibrahim.
Kayssay was arrested in Lagos by operatives of the FIRS and flown to Abuja for further questioning.
The tax enforcement drive that led to
Kayssay’s arrest was led by the Assistant Director, Debt Enforcement and
Special Prosecution Unit, FIRS, Mr. James Binang.
Obeta, while confirming the arrest of
Kayssay, had said the move was aimed at recovering arrears accruing to
the Federal Government from Withholding Tax and Value Added Tax.
Apart from the tax liabilities against
Air Nigeria, the company was also alleged to have failed to file annual
tax returns for 2011. That of 2012 is also believed to be pending.
Ibrahim, in a statement on Monday, said he was not arrested by FIRS.
He explained that the statement was meant to set the record straight.
He stated, “Our company, NICON Group,
purchased 48% shares of Air Nigeria sometimes in 2010 and the Federal
Inland Revenue came with alleged tax liabilities for the period of 2006
to 2010.
“They claimed that he who buys assets buys the liabilities of the company. That was in 2012.
“We requested for reconciliation of the
taxes which was however not conclusive. We closed down the airline and
sold our shares to a commercial bank in Nigeria .”
Ibrahim said that rather than pursuing
the new owner for the taxes, FIRS instituted a civil suit against him at
the Federal high court.
“The same law of who buys the assets
buys the liabilities should apply, which is why FIRS should pursue the
liability of Air Nigeria with the new owners,” he stated
Explaining his encounter with the
agency, he said, “Yesterday (Monday) the FIRS enforcement unit solicited
my assistance about the new buyer, I opted to give them the full
details and documents.”
Ibrahim explained that before he gave
FIRS the details of the new owners of Air Nigeria , it (FIRS) had
alleged that Air Nigeria procured tax papers in 2010 for expatriates.
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