Senate Orders Police to Arrest CEOs of Globacom, Dana, Others

Senate Orders Police to Arrest CEOs of Globacom, Dana, Others

The Senate Joint Committee on Customs, Excise and Tariff and Marine Transport on Friday, directed the police to arrest the Chief Executive Officers of Globacom, Dana Group and 28 other companies for snubbing its invitation to its probe of an alleged N30 trillion revenue loss in the import and export value chain.

During its sitting on Tuesday, the panel, lead by Senator Hope Uzodinma, said out of the 63 CEOs invited only 33 responded while 30 others refused to honour its call to explain their companies’ involvement in the alleged scam.

Uzodinman said the refusal of the CEO’s to honour its call despite several reminders was disrespectful to the National Assembly. He said the Senate would not tolerate being snubbed by anyone particularly on issues that concerns government revenue.

“It is no longer going to be business as usual. We have directed the Nigeria Police Force to arrest the heads of the firms and bring them before us. If we can suspend our recess as lawmakers to see to the end of this investigation, I see no reason why the firms that have been indicted would not come to defend themselves,” he said.

The companies whose CEOs the committee has asked to be arrested include; the British American Tobacco, CCECC, Crown Flour Mills, Olam International Limited, Hong Xing Steel Company Limited, Visafone, African Wire, Starcomms and Allied Limited, and Aarti Steel Nigeria Limited.

Others are Abyem-Diva International Limited, Gagasel International, FrieslandCapina WAMPO, Etco Nigeria, Edic Chemicals and Allied Distributors, De United Foods, Don Climax Group, Skill G Nigeria Limited, Premium Seafood, and La Rauf Nigeria Limited.

Also included are Standard Metallurgical Company Limited, Kam Industries, IBG Investment Limited, Orazulike Trading Company Limited and Popular Foods Limited, A-Kelnal Integrated & Logistics Services, African Industries, African Tiles & Ceramics as well as ZTE Nigeria.

The Senate had mandated the panel to probe into the alleged over N30tn revenue leakages in the import and export value chain between 2006 and 2017.

The committee had met with indicted commercial banks as well as government agencies. while it had written over 60 companies for investigation over their alleged sharp practices leading to revenue loss, the Punch reports.