N10bn tax evasion: EFCC quizzes Arik chairman

Written by This Day Wednesday, 07 July 2010

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, on Tuesday, quizzed the Chairman of Arik Airline, Chief Joseph Arumeni-Ikhide, for several hours over alleged tax evasion.

A cumulative N10bn is involved in the alleged offence.

Our correspondent gathered that Arumeni-Ikhide’s interrogation went late into the night before he was released on administrative bail at about 8pm.

A top official of the EFCC told our correspondent that the chairman was initially being investigated over alleged evasion of N5bn tax due to be paid by the airline.

But the commission was said to have stumbled on another N5bn evasion of Ticket Service Charges by Arik in the course of investigating alleged financial scandal in the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority.

The EFCC had summoned the Arik chairman in continuation of its investigation into the rot in the air transport sector of the economy, particularly to determine the airlines that had been evading tax.

The commission had on September 29, 2009 raided the Lagos office of the airline for about five hours in search of documents to establish the allegations.