By Aduragbemi Omiyale
The Managing Director of eTranzact International Plc, Mr Niyi Awosope Toluwalope, risks being arrested by the police if he fails to honour an invitation extended to him by the House of Representatives.
According to TheCable, Chairman, House Committee on Customs and Excise, Mr Leke Abejide, accused the company, including its MD, of conniving with some banks to cheat the federal government.
He said the firm, which is listed on the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited, has been defrauding the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) by not remitting customs duties by banks to the federal government.
Speaking at the hearing on Wednesday, the lawmaker also said efforts made to hear from Mr Toluwalope about the issue have been frustrated, prompting the threat of the issuance of a warrant of arrest on him if he fails to appear at the next sitting of the committee.
“I am using this medium to advise the managing director of eTranzact to honour the invitation of this House otherwise we will not have any option than to take the necessary legal action against him, and this can include getting him arrested. We are not on our own, we were elected by the people and to work for the country,” the Chairman said.
According to Mr Abejide, the panel has the mandate to block revenue leakages and ensure that all remittances are duly paid to the federal government.
“We have been asking this e-Transact to give us information, and they have been failing.
“We discovered that he colluded with some banks and cheated the Nigeria Customs Service of several billions of naira.
“For him to come and explain how this happens, it becomes difficult. This is the last chance we are giving him,” the lawmaker fumed.
Meanwhile, eTranzact has reacted to the allegations made by the reps panel.
In a statement made available to Business Post, the company claimed it “did not, at any time, collect excise duties on behalf [of the] Nigerian Customs Service (NSC), as alluded by the Chairman of the House Investigating Committee. And that there was no way our organization would have colluded with some banks to cheat the Nigeria Customs Service as reported in the Cable News publication.”
“We will also like to categorically state that, we did not receive any invitation from the House Committee to appear before it with respect to the claim,” the firm added.
“As one of Africa’s super fintech and [a] leading provider of payment and banking service, we work within the framework of Nigerian Payment Systems as regulated by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
“We are committed to the economic development of Nigeria, and in partnership with state governments and MDAs in the collection of IGR and other formal and informal taxes.
“The company has a track record of delivering secure, cost-effective and innovative electronic and mobile payment services that are compliant with globally recognized standards,” the statement added.
Editor’s Note: The article has been updated with the reaction of eTranzact on the accusation of the House of Reps Committee on Customs and Excise.
Adedapo Adesanya 
Modupe Gbadeyanka