Justice Adedayo Akintoye of a Lagos High court sitting in Igbosere, has again issued a bench warrant for the arrest of a former Super Eagles Captain, Augustine popularly known as Jay- Jay Okocha over alleged tax evasion.
Justice Akintoye made the order following Okocha’s alleged failure to settle a 2017 income tax evasion case brought against him by the Lagos State Government.
The judge first made the order on January 29, following an application by the Lagos State Ministry of Justice.
The ministry told the court that Okocha had also failed to appear in court since 2017 when the case was filed against him.
The Football star and former Super Eagles captain, Austin ‘Jay Jay’ Okocha who recently said he was never contacted over his alleged failure to pay income tax before a Lagos court issued a bench warrant for his arrest, some months ago.
Many local and international media reported the order by a Lagos High Court in Igbosere for Okocha’s arrest . He was taken to court by the Lagos State Ministry of Justice on a three-count charge bordering on failure to furnish return of income.
But Okocha who spoke for the first time after the news broke out when he told The Guardian in a telephone chat that he was never contacted by anybody regarding income taxes. “I only read about it on the pages of newspapers.
No one contacted me. As a citizen of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, I know very well that nobody is above the law. But honestly speaking, I was never contacted by anybody on issues before the court order.”
The former Bolton of England midfielder, and member of Super Eagles squad to Tunisia ’94 and Atlanta ’96 Olympics, however hinted that the issue had been settled. “It has been settled, but I won’t be able to give you details,” he stated.
The Guardian recalls that the prosecutor, Dr. Jide Martins, had stated that he filed the charge on June 6, 2017, adding that the case came up for the first time on October 5, 2017 but the defendant (Okocha) did not appear in court.
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