SINGAPORE: A Singapore court has charged four Indians for bribing a customs officer and fraudulently claiming Goods and Services Tax tourist refunds. The court has sentenced them to jail and charged them with heavy fines.
As per details, Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS) has identified many suspicious GST refund claims using data analytic on its electronic tourist refund system (eTRS) and started crackdown against culprits. In a recent development it held four Indians along with two Singaporeans, among them was a former Customs officer, Mohamed Yusof Abdul Rahman.
The four Indian nationals charged by the court were Sundar Panneer Selvam, Baskaran Uthirapathy, Pounraj Natarajan and Gobi Raman.
Sources said that Sundar was charged with 29 counts of corruptly giving gratification amounting to SGD 10,800 and seven counts of giving gratification in the form of a bottle of liquor. He also faces 30 counts for his intent to fraudulently claim GST refunds amounting to SGD 213,007.34, and nine counts of removing cash arising from fraudulent GST refund claims out of Singapore.
Baskaran was charged with 11 counts of abetting Sundar and Pounraj Natarajan to corruptly give gratification to Mohamed Yusof Abdul Rahman amounting to SGD 3,550 and one bottle of liquor and SGD 400 to Lim.
Pounraj Natarajan was charged with five counts of corruptly giving gratification amounting to SGD 1,300 to Mohamed Yusof Abdul Rahman through the previous two men, and one count of corruptly giving gratification amounting to SGD 250 to the former Customs officer. He is also facing 30 counts for willful intent to fraudulently claim GST refunds amounting to SGD 114,990.51 and 11 counts of removing cash arising from fraudulent GST refund claims out of Singapore.
Singapore Customs also charged Gobi Raman with 26 counts for willful intent to fraudulently claim GST refunds amounting to SGD 143,359.63 and nine counts of removing cash arising from fraudulent GST refund claims out of Singapore.
Moreover, Mohamed Yusof, whose employment with the custom department was not renewed when it expired earlier this month, was charged with corruptly accepting gratification amounting to SGD 11,400 and intentionally assisting the four Indian nationals to fraudulently claim a total of SGD 493,858.67 in GST refunds.
