A Lagos State prosecutor, Mrs Y. A. Pitan, yesterday said that a former Super Eagles’ captain, Augustine Okocha, who had been having a legal battle with the Lagos Internal Revenue Service (LIRS) since 2017 over income tax evasion, has settled out of court with the agency.
Pitan told an Igbosere High Court, Lagos, yesterday that the LIRS informed her that the defendant, widely known as J. J. Okocha, visited its office and reconciled his accounts.
The prosecutor then prayed the court for an adjournment to enable her file a notice of discontinuance of the charge preferred against the former footballer.
Justice Adedayo Akintoye consequently withdrew the warrant of arrest earlier issued on Okocha and adjourned further hearing till November 14, 2018, to enable the prosecution file the discontinuation notice.
The prosecution had on May 28, 2019 informed the court that the defendant visited the office of the LIRS to reconcile his accounts but the two parties could not reach a common ground.
The prosecutor had on June 6, 2017 filed a three-count charge against Okocha, accusing him of failure to furnish returns of his income with the LIRS for tax purposes and failure to pay income tax.
“The offences contravene Section 56(a) and (b) of the Lagos State Revenue Administration Law No. 8 of 2006 and Section 94 (1) of the Personal Income Tax Act Cap P8 Laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 2004 (as amended),” the prosecution said.
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