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Alleged Tax Evasion: Court Issues Arrest Warrant For Monalisa Chinda

A Lagos High Lagos sitting in Igbosere, Lagos Island has issued a bench warrant for the arrest of actress and producer, Monalisa Chinda Coker, on allegations of tax evasion.


Nollywood actress Monalisa Chinda

 

A Lagos High Lagos sitting in Igbosere, Lagos Island has issued a bench warrant for the arrest of actress and producer, Monalisa Chinda Coker, on allegations of tax evasion.

Justice Adedayo Akintoye had issued the order of arrest on January 21, following an application by the Lagos State Ministry of Justice, which had alleged that Coker repeatedly failed to honour a court summons.

The application bordering on two counts, accused Coker of a six-year failure to file annual tax returns and failure to pay income tax in respect of her company, Monalisa Code Productions.

Prosecution counsel, Yetunde Pitan, told Justice Akintoye that Coker had not appeared in court since 2017, when the charge was filed against her.

“The defendant has been served with hearing notice. The proof of service is in the court’s file,” Pitan said, while making an application for the bench warrant.

Granting the application, Justice Akintoye adjourned further proceedings till February 2.

But on February 2, the court heard that the bench warrant had yet to be effected.

It then ordered that the warrant should continue and adjourned till April 1.

Count one of the charge reads in part:

“Failure to furnish and file annual tax returns for the purpose of personal income taxation with the Lagos State Internal Revenue Service (LIRS) contrary to Section 94(1) of the Personal Income Tax Act 2004 (as amended).”

The particulars of the count stated that Coker “of Monalisa Code Productions, being a taxable person in Nigeria and carrying on business at… Lekki… failed to furnish and file tax returns on your personal income for the years 2011 to 2016.”

Count two reads: “Failure to pay income tax contrary to Section 56 of the Lagos State Revenue Administration Law of 2006.”

Monalisa Code Productions carries on its business in the Lekki area of Lagos.