|
|
29 Apr 2008
Australian Federal Police arrested former Sydney accountant, Robert Agius, principal partner of accountancy firm PKF Vanuatu, on Sunday morning, for operating an offshore tax haven which allowed Australians ‘in the higher echelons of business’ avoid paying an estimated $A100m (₤50m) in tax.
Agius, a Vanuatu resident since 1979, was arrested following an investigation by the Project Wickenby taskforce into tax avoidance. He will be extradited to NSW to face two charges of conspiracy to defraud and one of money laundering.
Several others will also be summonsed to appear in court this week, and warrants have been executed in Sydney, Vanuatu and New Zealand in an operation which has identified more than $A57m in assets, some of which have been frozen, following an investigation by Project Wickenby, the Vanuatu police, NZ police and the NZ Inland Revenue Department, Melbourne paper The Age reports.
A statement of facts lodged in Perth by AFP reveals that, for an establishment fee of $A8000 and an annual fee of $US1380, PKF Vanuatu would provide an Australian company or director with false invoices from an overseas-registered company that had a bank account in NZ.
Further reading:
You may also like
Search thousands of financial jobs:
Search thousands of financial jobs:
Careers
Search for jobs
Click to search our database of all the latest accountancy roles
Create a profile
Click to set up your profile and let the best recruiters find you
Jobs by email
Sign up to receive regular updates with the latest roles suitable for you
Briefings
By looking at the reasons supplier statements became unfashionable, and the reasons why it is different today, this paper delves into the many benefits that can be obtained by automating the process.
Having a real and true view of your organisation’s current financial position, and having the right systems and processes in place, will ensure that you can make strong choices and are ready to capitalise on opportunities
AccountancyAgeInsight is a frequently updated resource centre for finance professionals, offering a free and easy-to-use digital library of briefings, white papers and other information resources. 
Visitor comments Add your comment