Seplat Petroleum Improvement Firm Restricted (also referred to as Seplat Power Plc) and 12 senior officers of the corporate have been dragged to court docket by the Federal Authorities of Nigeria for alleged tax evasion amounting to the sum of $37.5 million, The Witness reviews.
The 12 officers of the oil agency listed within the go well with are: Roger Brown (CEO), Samson Ezugworie (COO/ED0; Eleanor Adaralegbe (CFO/ED); Effiong Okon (MD, ANOH Gasoline); Ayodele Olatunde (MD, Seplat West); Obi Ada Itotoi (MD, Seplat East); Pius Ozoemenah Udeh (MD, Elcrest); Edith Owuchekwa (Firm Secretary); Chioma Yvonne Afe (Dir. Exterior Affairs); Okechukwu Mba (Dir. New Power); Alasdair Mackenzie (Dir. Technique & Planning) and Steve Ojeh (Dir. Company Companies).
Within the Swimsuit No: FHC/L/ 982C/24, filed earlier than the Federal Excessive Courtroom, Lagos division by the Federal Inland Income Service, FIRS, on behalf of the federal authorities, it was alleged that Seplat Petroleum and 12 of its officers, someday in 2010, in Nigeria did buy a collaborating curiosity within the producing property of OML 4, OML 38 and OML 41 and failed or evaded to pay the statutory stamp responsibility imposed on the Buy Contract and the accruing curiosity within the sum of $37,581,083.40 to the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The FIRS alleged that by evading the mentioned tax, the corporate and its officers dedicated an offence, opposite to S. 23 of the Stamp Duties Act and punishable underneath S.111 and 112 of the Stamp Duties Act (as amended).
The defendants have been additionally alleged to have counterfeited the seal of the Commissioner of Stamp Duties by inserting identical on the acquisition Contract of OML 4, OML 38, and OML 41.
The 5 depend cost filed earlier than the court docket by the FIRS in opposition to Seplat Petroleum and its officers are:
COUNT 1: That you simply SEPLAT PETROLEUM DEVELOPMENT COMPANY LTD, ROGER BROWN, SAMSON EZUGWORIE, ELEANOR ADARALEGBE,EFFIONG OKON, AYODELE OLATUNDE, IBI ADA ITOTOI, PIUS OZOEMENAM UDEH, EDITH ONWUCHEKWA, CHIOMA YVONNE AFE.OKECHUKWU MBA, ALASDAIR MACKENZIE and STEVE OJEH, someday in 2010, in Nigeria and inside the jurisdiction of this Honorable Courtroom, did buy a collaborating curiosity within the producing property of OML 4, OML 38 and OML 4I and failed or evaded to pay the statutory stamp responsibility imposed on the executed Buy Contract and the accruing curiosity within the sum of $37,581,083.40 (Thirty seven million, reside hundred and eighty one thousand, eighty three {dollars} and forty cents solely) a sum due and payable to the Federal Republic of Nigeria in so doing, dedicated an offence, opposite to S. 23 of the Stamp Duties Act and punishable underneath S.111 and 112 of the Stamp Duties Act (as amended).
COUNT 2: That you simply SEPLAT PETROLEUM DEVELOPMENT COMPANY LIMITED, ROGER BROWN, SAMSON EZUGWORIE, ELEANOR ADARALEGBE,EFFIONG OKON, AYODELE OLATUNDE, IBI ADA ITOTOI, PIUS OZOEMENAM UDEH, EDITH ONWUCHEKWA, CHIOMA YVONNE AFE.OKECHUKWU MBA, ALASDAIR MACKENZIE and STEVE OJEH, someday in 2010, in Nigeria and inside the jurisdiction of this Honorable Courtroom, did buy a collaborating curiosity within the producing property of OML 4, OML 38 and OML 41 and did unlawfully and willfully evade the fee and remittance of duties, fines, penalties and money owed as a result of Authorities of the Federation imposed on the executed Buy Contract to amass Oil Mining Lease 4, 38 and 41, within the sum of $37,581,083.40 (Thirty seven million, 5 hundred and eighty one thousand and forty cents solely) and in so doing, dedicated an offence, opposite to and punishable underneath S. 111 and 112 of the Stamp Duties Act (as amended).
COUNT 3: That you simply SEPLAT PETROLEUM DEVELOPMENT COMPANY LIMITED, ROGER BROWN, SAMSON EZUGWORIE, ELEANOR ADARALEGBE, EFFIONG OKON, AYODELE OLATUNDE, IBI ADA ITOTOI, PIUS OZOEMENAM UDEH, EDITH ONWUCHEKWA, CHIOMA YVONNE AFE, OKECHUKWU MBA, ALASDAIR MACKENZIE and STEVE OJEH, someday in 2010, in Nigeria and inside the jurisdiction of this Honorable Courtroom, did buy a collaborating curiosity within the producing property of OML 4, OML 38 the executed Buy Agreements and the accruing curiosity within the sum of S eighty three {dollars} and forty cents solely), a sum due and payable to the Federal Republic of Nigeria and in so doing, dedicated an offence opposite to and punishable underneath S. 32 of the Federal Inland Income Service Institution Act 2007 (as amended).
COUNT 4: That you simply SEPLAT PETROLEUM DEVELOPMENT COMPANY LIMITED, ROGER BROWN, SAMSON EZUGWORIE, ELEANOR ADARALEGBE, EFFIONG OKON, AYODELE OLATUNDE, IBI ADA ITOTOI, PIUS OZOEMENAM UDEH, EDITH ONWUCHEKWA, CHIOMA YVONNE AFE, OKECHUKWU MBA, ALASDAIR MACKENZIE and STEVE OJEH, someday in 2010, in Nigeria and inside the jurisdiction of this Honorable Courtroom, did buy a collaborating curiosity within the producing property of OML 4, OML 38and OML 41 and failed or evaded to pay the statutory stamp responsibility imposed on the executed Buy Contract and the accruing curiosity within the sum of $37,581,083.40 (thirty seven million1, 5 hundred and eighty one thousand, eighty three {dollars} and forty cents solely a sum due and payable to the Federal Republic of Nigeria in so doing, dedicated an offence, opposite to and punishable underneath S.40 of the Federal Inland Income Service Institution Act 2007 (as amended).
COUNT 5: That you simply SEPLATPETROLEUM DEVELOPMENT COMPANY LIMITED, ROGER BROWN, SAMSON EZUGWORIE, ELEANOR ADARALEGBE, EFFIONG OKON, AYODELE OLATUNDE, IBI ADA ITOTOI, PIUS OZOEMENAM UDEH, EDITH ONWUCHEKWA, CHIOMA YVONNE AFE, OKECHUKWU MBA and STEVE OJEH on or about 2010 in Nigeria and inside the jurisdiction of this Honorable Courtroom, did counterfeit the seal of the Commissioner of Stamp Duties by inserting identical on the acquisition Contract of OML 4, OML 38 and OML 41, for the needs of verification referring to the taxes thereat and thereby dedicated an offence, opposite to S.43 (c) and punishable underneath S.43 ( c) of the Federal Inland Income Institution Act 2007 (as amended).
When contacted, Chioma Afe, Director, Exterior Affairs and Sustainability, Seplat Power, informed The Witness through a textual content message that “The matter is in court docket and as such we can not touch upon it. Additional data shall be shared at an applicable time as wanted,”
In the meantime, the matter has been fastened for February 28, 2025 for trial.