Law enforcment agencies prasied for successeful fraud case

The Department of Custom and inland Revenue has revealed that the fraud case involving a Police Office is their biggest ever and commended the collaboration of all law enforcement agencies that pooled their efforts together to collect enough evidence which were used to reach a conviction.

During a joint Press Conference yesterday with the Public Prosecutor, the Department stated that “sometimes in April 2014 a tax payer reported to the Rates and Tax Unit within the department of Customs and Inland Revenue that a road tax sticker that he bought through his friend could not stick to his vehicle wind screen.

“And upon inspection of the sticker by the Rates and Taxes compliance officers we found that it was a fake road tax sticker that has been on sale on the streets of Port Vila.

“A complaint was lodged with the police Fraud Section together with the Customs and later prosecuted by the Public Prosecutor on behalf of the Sate.

“As a government major revenue collector, the Department and Inland Revenue will not tolerate any such illegal activity by any member of the public or any tax payers that will affect the collection of the government budgeted revenue.

“The Department of CIR would like to issue a reminder that it is the only legal government agency mandated by Road Traffic Act to collect all required fees pertaining to road tax, vehicle registration, drivers licenses and so forth.”

During the Press Conference, the Office of the Director of Vanuatu Customs and Inland Revenue, acknowledged and commended all the respective departments of the Government, especially those officers who assisted in the difficult case including the Fraud Section of Vanuatu Police Force, the Customs and Inland Revenue for the professional job done to bring the law breaker(s) before the Court of law, and Prosecutors who tirelessly worked around the clock to ensure the matter is heard by a Competent Court of Law.

“The case could not have been exceptionally successful without the great support received from those law abiding citizens who assisted by revealing and admitting the truths in the circumstance being done to defraud the people and Government of the Republic of Vanuatu.”

In echoing the words of the Customs Director, Acting Public Prosecutor, John Timakata also commends every agencies especially the Customs personnel who commited themselves tirelessly to ensure the law enforcement is effective in particular the case which the verdict was handed down Friday last week.

“This is a good example of combined and cooperative work from law enforcement agencies,” side Timakata.

“Different agencies are entitle to administer different laws, but what is more important is the effort of these agencies and how they committed themselves to work together to ensure the enforcement of our laws are actually more effective.”

He said what is interesting about the case is how the defendant goes about to commit the fraud, especially how he uses computer equipment to commit the fraud.

“That’s what makes it a little bit complex for customs to investigate and place connections between the documentations up to an expert witness from the customs to present to the customs in a way that is admissible.

“Fraud is always a complex case because it has to do with documentation.”

Meanwhile the the Department of Customs and Inland Revenue is also reminding the general taxpayers again especially in Port Vila, Efate and Luganville, Santo and including the respective provinces to comply and adhere to the provisions of laws of the Republic of Vanuatu, that is do act and do what is correct within its laws.

“The Department of Customs and Inland Revenue also takes this time to acknowledge all tax payers who are continually complying and contributing to support the Government of Republic of Vanuatu and pay required taxes and fees.

“The Department of CIR is encouraging all the citizens of the Country to cooperate and do what is ethical (right) and comply with its laws.”