Prague, July 21 (CTK) – Czech tax Cobra team detectives have accused three men of tax evasion with a damage of 1.2 billion crowns and money laundering, Jaroslav Ibehej, spokesman for the corruption police squad, told CTK yesterday, adding that a lawyer who allegedly abetted the men is also being prosecuted.
Ibehej said she allegedly took legal steps to cover up the men’s criminal activities.
He also said the police averted the luring of another 513 million crowns from VAT deductions in trading in fictitious goods.
The detectives say two men aged 46 and 43 stated fictitious data in VAT reports for their firms, using fictitious contracts and invoices and international bills of lading according to which the goods were transported by a Belorussian firm that cannot be contacted.
The faked documents were made by a third, 41-year-old man. He allegedly had electronic versions of the stamps of Czech and foreign customs bodies.
The tax office sent the VAT deductions to the account of the firm, from which the men paid construction works in areas connected with the firm, withdrew cash or sent it to the accounts of other firms.
The detectives say they made the payments without real legal title only to cover up the origin of the money gained through criminal activities.
When the tax administrator showed suspicion and launched checks of the firm’s activities, the men turned to the lawyer. The police say she worked out a project of their firm’s fusion and tried to delete the firm from the Company Register and so frustrate the state bodies’ further communication with it.
The accused men face up to ten years in prison if found guilty. They have not been taken into custody.
($1=24.532 crowns)
