Tax Evasion: Court Orders Arrest Of Monalisa Chinda

A Lagos High Court, Igbosere, has ordered the arrest of Nollywood actress, Monalisa Chinda over alleged tax evasion. The Presiding Judge, Justice Adedayo Akintoye reviewed the bench warrant following the failure of the actress to appear in court.
Lagos State Government had charged her with failure to file annual tax returns and failure to pay income tax in respect of her company, Monalisa Code Productions. When the matter came up, Monday, April I, 2019, the defendant and her lawyer were not in court.
Hence, the Lagos State counsel, Mr Babatunde Sumonu told the court that the bench warrant earlier issued, was yet to be effected.
The judge, Justice Akintoye consequently held that the bench warrant should subsist and she adjourned the case until June 5, 2019 for further hearing. The court had on January 21, 2019 given an application made by the state Ministry of Justice.
The submitted that the defendant repeatedly failed to honour court unions since 2017 when the case was filed. According to the prosecution counsel, the defendant failed to file annual tax returns in respect of her company to the Lagos State Internal Revenue Service (LIRS) for six years, stressing that Monalisa Code Productions carries out its business from Lekki in Lagos State.
The alleged offence, the prosecution said contravenes Section 94(1) of the personal Income Tax Act 2004 as amended and Section 5 of the Lagos Revenue Administrative Law of 2006.