Osinbajo’s Former Firm Denies Tax Fraud Allegations, Threatens Court Action
The former law firm of Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo (SAN) SimmonsCooper Partners has denied any involvement in a N100 billion tax evasion scandal with Alpha Beta Consulting Limited as reported over last weekend by a national newspaper.
On July 13, 2019, the Saturday edition of the Punch Newspapers published a headline story titled “Osinbajo’s firm linked to company fingered in alleged N100bn Alpha Beta scam”, where it alleged that SimmonsCoopers Partners, the law partnership firm formerly headed by Osinbajo before he was elected the Vice President of Nigeria, served as Company Secretary to Alpha Beta Consulting Ltd.
However, in a press released signed by the Managing Partner of SimmonsCooper Partners, Dapo Akinosun, on Thursday, the law firm refuted the story, stating that it is not involved, in any shape or form, neither does it have a link with, the alleged tax evasion, money laundering, nor corruption claims alleged against any of the corporations identified in the publication.
Akinosun further stated that the firm has never been retained by Ocean Trust Limited to offer secretarial services as alleged by the Newspapers.
He said, “SimmonsCooper Partners states that it is not involved, in any shape or form, neither does it have a link with, the alleged tax evasion, money laundering, nor corruption claims alleged against any of the corporations identified in the publication.
“For the avoidance of doubt, SimmonsCooper Partners has never retained a physical or correspondent address at “B5 Falomo Shopping Complex, South West Ikoyi, Victoria Island
“This address is copiously portrayed in the published CAC Form 2.1, purportedly, as proof of the linkage between the firm and the subject matter of the allegations, whereas, a cursory inquiry by Punch could have shown that this address is neither the firm’s registered address nor its principal office.
“The firm categorically states that it has never been retained by Ocean Trust Limited to offer secretarial services as alleged by Punch Newspapers or at all.
“As is custom with filings as Company Secretary, there is no acceptance letter by the firm consenting to the purported appointment, or any other filing undertaken by the firm as Company Secretary at the registry of the Corporate Affairs Commission.
“The Publication was a false statement of fact, intentionally published in print and on the Internet, to millions of people within Nigeria and around the world.
“The malicious intent is demonstrated by the fact that a public search at the Corporate Affairs Commission shows that Ocean Trust Limited has a subsisting company secretary that had been appointed since 2011, which fact was curiously left out by the Punch Newspapers in the Publication.
“Further, the imputation that offering professional services to a company, by itself, creates an association with alleged wrongdoing, is neither customary nor reasonable. We are certain that Punch Newspapers has external legal advisers who will not be taken to be privy to, or actors in, the defamation alleged herein, or indeed in other matters of liability that may arise in the course of running Punch’s business. Offering professional services, by itself, cannot be characterized as wrongdoing.
“The firm is aggrieved by the wanton, mischievous and most unprofessional manner in which the Punch Newspapers has published the defamatory statements in the Publication. SimmonsCooper Partners intends to seek redress to the fullest extent available in law and has requested the Punch Newspapers to do all of the following:
‘’Remove from publication in their entirety the defamatory publication and all online threads to prevent further harm to the Firm’s business.
‘’Produce an apology and a declaration that the allegations referred to are false and defamatory and cause such apology and declaration to be published in each of the forums which have given or could give reason for our complaint (such apology to be approved by us prior to publication).
‘’Provide details of the number of online posts made, together with website addresses.
‘’Make proposals for the payment to us of damages for the harm caused to our reputation and undertake to actively monitor and delete any newly published defamatory content relating to the Firm.
‘’If the defamatory Publication and threads are not permanently removed and the above undertakings are not complied within the stipulated period, SimmonsCooper Partners reserves the right to undertake further action as appropriate.’’
