The Director of Communications and Liaison Department in the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Dr. Abdullahi Ismaila Ahmad has narrated how the current Board of the Service took prompt action to address the issue of alleged corruption levelled against some ex directors and staff at the assumption of office of the new management, headed by Dr. Muhammad Nami.
In a statement today, June 23, Dr. Abdullahi said that the alleged violation being tried now at the federal high court in Abuja, took place between January 2017 and December 2018, before the appointment of Dr. Nami as the Director-General of the FIRS.
“The case concerns Duty Tour Allowances (DTA) approved by the former management for travels that were allegedly not undertaken.
“However, on the assumption of office by the new management, the Board of the Service promptly directed it to take the matter before the Staff and Management Disciplinary Committee for necessary disciplinary processes to be activated to deal with the situation. In line with this directive, the Human Capital Management Department of the FIRS subsequently investigated the matter and thereafter issued queries to the concerned members of staff to give the serving officers a fair hearing.
The Service had since completed the internal administrative processes as provided in its Human Resources Policies handbook as it relates to the officers still in service. The outcome of this procedure has been kept in abeyance pending the outcome of the ongoing court trial.”
Dr. Abdullahi confirmed that the ex-directors and staff are currently answering charges concerning embezzling Duty Tour Allowances (DTA) approved by the erstwhile management.
“They were arraigned on a 42-count charge bordering on corruption, fraud and criminal misappropriation of funds punishable under the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended in 2012).”
He said that the ongoing trial followed a petition to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) about the alleged fraudulent practices which the accused allegedly committed between 2017 and 2018.
Saying that at the latest hearing of the matter today, June 23, the court fixed the trial date for the case on September 28, 2021, Dr. Abdullahi appealed to the taxpayers and stakeholders on behalf of the management “to continue to have confidence in its capacity to deal with internal issues while not also lose sight of its mandate of generating tax revenue for the government.”
