A decade long case has been bought back into the spotlight, with health lobbyists and academics renewing their pleas to investigate tobacco giants Phillip Morris for alleged tax evasion, reports Bangkok Post.
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On Tuesday, the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) were urged by The Thailand Health Promotion Institute (THPI), who appealed for the indictment of the Phillip Morris employees who allegedly carried out a billion dollar baht tax evasion scheme, avoiding paying the Thai government 68 billion baht in tax revenue.
Chairman of THPI, Hatai Chitanondh, said that even though numerous calls from the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) there have been no concrete moves to prosecute.
Former attorney general Julasingh Vasantasingh, gave the green light to indict 12 out of 13 suspects, a week before his retirement in October 2013. There has been no progress since.
Thai business lawyers Chaninat and Leeds are experts in recovering money, funds or assets based on trade and business disputes.
The DSI started investigations into the firm in 2005, and discovered they had under-reported the value of Marlboro and L&M cigarettes being imported from Phillip Morris in the Philippines.
They supposedly downplayed figures in their declaration to the Customs Department between 2003 – 2007, in so doing avoided paying accurate tax. This is in violation of Thailand’s 1926 Custom’s Act.
Economics professor at Sukhothai Thammathirut Open University, Suchada Tungthanthum said that the DSI probe had certain limitations, meaning “the figure of lost tax revenue could be much higher than the 68 billion we are talking about.”
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