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EFCC quizzes former FIRS boss, Fowler, over Tinubu’s company, Alpha Beta

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States’ Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) grows to N1.16tn in 2018

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Monday quizzed the immediate past Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) Babatunde Fowler, over allegations leveled against Alpha Beta Consulting.

The invitation is said to be part of investigations into an alleged N100 billion tax evasion fraud leveled against the company, said to be owned by a former governor of Lagos State, Bola Tinubu.

A former Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Alpha Beta Consulting, Dapo Apara, had in a petition to the EFCC in 2018, accused the firm, which has the exclusive rights to monitor and collect Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) on behalf of the Lagos Government, of involving in a N100 billion tax evasion fraud.

In the petition which Apara wrote through his lawyer, Adetunji Shoyoye and Associates, he said that Alpha Beta Consulting “has become an avenue for official corruption of government officials, a conduit pipe for massive money-laundering scheme, tax evasion, among other vices.”

He said that powerful politicians in the state kept covering the alleged fraud.#

READ ALSO: Ex-Alpha Beta MD’s lawyer claims fire destroyed court papers filed against Tinubu

“Over the years the company has been protected and shielded by some powerful politicians and people in the society which made them to always boast of being untouchable, but our client, feeling the need not to keep quiet again and strengthened by his belief in the fact that the government of President Muhammadu Buhari is keen on fighting corruption, which has been the bane of our country, is of the firm belief that it’s time to expose and open the can of worms called Alpha Beta Consulting,” Apara added in his petition.

Apara through his lawyer, Shoyoye, had also recently dragged a former Lagos State governor, Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Alpha Beta to the Lagos High Court, Igbosere over the fraud allegation.

The anti-graft agency is believed to have invited Fowler for questioning due to his position as a former Chief Executive Officer, Lagos State Internal Revenue Service.

The spokesman of the EFCC, Wilson Uwujaren, confirmed Fowler’s honouring of the commission’s invitation to newsmen.

He, meanwhile, did not give details about the former FIRS boss being probed over the fraud allegation against Alpha Beta Consulting.

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