EFCC Quizzes Fowler, Ex- FIRS Boss, Over 100m Fraud

Babatunde Fowler. former chairman Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) is being interrogated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over N100 billion tax evasion allegation levelled against a tax firm, Alpha Beta Consulting.

The antigraft spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren, had confirmed the report to newsmen following fowler’s response to an invitation from EFCC on Monday.

A former Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Alpha Beta Consulting, Dapo Apara, had accused Fowler, who was also a former Chief Executive Officer, Lagos State Internal Revenue Service, of tax fraud to the tune of N100bn.

In a petition to the EFCC in 2018, Apara stated that Alpha Beta, the firm given exclusive rights to monitor and collect Internally Generated Revenue on behalf of the Lagos Government, “has become an avenue for official corruption of government officials, a conduit pipe for massive money-laundering scheme, tax evasion, among other vices”.

The petition written by Adetunji Shoyoye and Associates, said the ex-CEO claimed that the fraud had been covered by powerful politicians in the state.

The petition read in part, “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.”