CRIRS, Judiciary Meet To Resume Prosecution Of Revenue Cases, Mobile Courts, Others
By Ogbu KOSY
The Cross River Internal Revenue Service and the Judiciary have met and agreed on the recommencement of prosecution of revenue cases, setting up of mobile courts as well as speedy prosecution of persons arrested for setting up of illegal revenue checkpoints on roads across the State.
The agreement was reached during an official visit by the Acting Executive Chairman, Prince Edwin Okon, to the Honourable Chief Judge of Cross River State, Hon. Justice Akon B. Ikpeme, at the Judiciary Headquarters, Mary Slessor Avenue, Calabar.
Prince Okon disclosed that for the State Internal Revenue Service to bring to fruition its revenue generation drive towards the present administration's success, the resumption of the prosecution of pending revenue cases, and that setting up of mobile courts has become pertinent to help address the issue of illegal revenue checkpoints in the State.
He said: "The synergy between the Cross River Internal Revenue Service and the Judiciary is a necessary measure aimed at addressing the issue of unauthorized persons who parade themselves as government revenue agents or consultants mounting illegal checkpoints, which some, he noted, have been been identified.
"Also, the matter of past appointees holding on to their titles to extort monies from unsuspecting taxpayers would be handled with the help of the traditional rulers and locals."
The Honourable Chief Judge of Cross River State, Hon. Justice Akon B. Ikpeme, pledged the Judiciary's readiness to work with the CRIRS to address tax related matters both in and out of court, within the ambit of the law.
Requesting a comprehensive compilation of defaulters from CRIRS, she said impersonation in itself is an offence as she promised to speak with the Head of Department, Special Courts, under whose jurisdiction mobile courts fall, to put necessary measures in place for the setting up of mobile courts to bring defaulters to book.
The Chief Judge further advised the Service to be consciously guided by the law in all their engagements with tax defaulters.
Other areas of mutual discussion and agreement included: the resumption of prosecution of revenue cases in court; distrain applications and provision of designated courts both in the High and Magistrate Courts to deal with revenue matters in the State.
