IRD to investigate alleged potential tax evasion by AIPF
THE Inland Revenue Division (IRD) of the Ministry of Finance and Treasury has reportedly described as “news to us” alleged potential tax evasion by AIPF and its owner, Deogratias Harorimana in a meeting earlier this week.
The disclosure was reportedly made in a meeting with representatives of alleged AIPF’s victims. The alleged victims wanted to know whether Dr. Deo has been paying taxes on commissions and fees he was charging clients for his consultancy/brokerage business.
“IRD says the fees and commissions clients were paying AIPF are news to them. We have not seen any taxes on the fees and commissions from the company. Now that we have the details, we will look into these activities,” a source who attended the meeting, told Solomon Star last night.
The revelation by the IRD comes in the wake of a blistering attack on the Solomon Star by Dr. Deo’s partner, Salome Kwaiga, who is the managing director of JnS Company Ltd, a hair Salon outfit in Honiara.
“If you don’t know him, Deo is not someone who will ever use or revert to criminal activities to gain what he wants, NEVER!!! Call me, his wife if you want to know what kind of person he is,” Salome said in a blistering attack in an email, sent to the Editor of Solomon Star, Moffat Mamu, on Wednesday night.
“Do you even know Deo personally, maybe you should ask your bosses cos they met with him before, they should tell (you) what kind of person he is. Deo is not a threat to anyone. He is a harmless person, not worthy of what (you) labelled him in your front page …”
Despite Ms Salome’s outburst, another couple has come forward to provide details on the level of fees and charges AIPF was charging clients.
“My family received the first drawdown of our BSP loan in June 2019 through my wife’s account with BSP. Deo knew about this drawdown and called me on my mobile to pay his preferred builder and contractor namely JnS Company for mobilization and building materials. As borrowers under the loan, both my wife and I arranged for a BSP bank cheque to be paid in my name and deposited in my BRED bank account and I would attend to settling AIPF, Deo and JnS their dues,” Charles Ashley said in a letter to the editor being published today..
“From the first BSP Loan drawdown, JnS Company was paid by my family a bank cheque issued from BRED bank for the amount of $SBD120, 045-00 on 5th June 2019. I personally attended and gave this bank cheque to Salome Kwaiga of JnS at her shop situated [at] the Mokolo Building, Mataniko Bridge the same day. A receipt was then given to me by Salome of JnS.
“The very next day 6th June 2019, I received another call from Deo saying that JnS had placed an order for three (3) kitchen sets from Australia to be installed at our renovated/converted family home. Deo gave specific instructions to me that because of the urgency to pay JnS suppliers he would be waiting for me at the Kukum BRED bank that day to collect CASH. I then left my office at SIPA, drove to BRED bank, withdraw the $SBD130, 000-00 and gave Deo that money IN CASH outside of the bank. To date my family has not received a receipt from JnS and Salome or Deo and AIPF for the amount $SBD130, 000-00,” Ashley’s letter said.
“The third and final payment made by my family to JnS Company was a direct debit of my wife’s BSP account when the second drawdown of BSP loan happened. The amount debited and credited into JnS Company account at BSP was $SBD250,000-00. In total JnS Company has received from my family the sum of $SBD500,045-00 and there is evidence to prove these payments.
“The statement by Deo that I or my family “has not paid even a dollar to JnS” is simply FALSE as JnS received from my family the sum of $SBD500, 045-00 and both the BRED and BSP banks can confirm these amounts from deposits into the JnS Company account with BSP,” the letter said.
“Similarly, the statement by Deo that he dropped his commission/project management fee from 4 per cent to 2 per cent is also FALSE as he received $SBD80,000-00 paid in cash instalment from me during the months of June and July 2019 pursuant to our gentlemen(‘s) agreement.
“Apart from the $SBD80, 000-00, I further paid to Deo another $SBD25, 000-00 in instalments at his Tanuli Office, East Honiara where I temporarily worked during the months of June to November 2019 when all contractual relation between AIPF, Deo, Salome & JnS on one side and my family on the other side ceased when we terminated the agreements.”
By ALFRED SASAKO
Newsroom, Honiara
