Members of the RSIPF and the Ministry of Finance & Treasury executed search warrants at the Honiara office of the Inland Revenue Division (IRD) where an IRD employee was arrested and charged with corruption.
It is alleged that the IRD Officer has received payments for unlawfully remitting a company’s tax liabilities.
This is the second arrest by Task Force Janus since its inception as it continues to investigate and prosecute those involved in fraudulent offending.
The cost to the public in lost tax revenue in respect of the matter now before the Court is $100,850.00. However, it is envisaged that further investigations on the current Matter may result in the final amount of evaded tax revenue as being in the vicinity of $5,000,000.00.
The matter will now be referred to the Office of the Director of the Public Prosecutions Service.
The Commissioner of Inland Revenue Mr Aylton Jamieson states he was disappointed that the member had breached his position of trust and acted outside the values of the IRD. He was unable to make further comment in respect of the specifics of the offending as the matter is now sub judice.
The Commissioner IRD reminded business entities that they had both a legal and social responsibility to meet their tax liabilities for the benefit of all Solomon Islanders and that any business or company found to be unlawfully evading their tax responsibilities can be assured that they will be held to account.
The Commissioner IRD further stated that the person’s illicit activities were identified by IRD and brought to the attention of the Task Force.
Task Force Janus is a joint Task Force between the Royal Solomon Islands Police and the Ministry of Finance & Treasury. The focus of the Task Force
is to identify, apprehend and prosecute individuals involved in Fraud and Corruption within the Solomon Island Public Service.
The Task Force is an intelligence led operation with the Ministry of Finance & Treasury having identified a number of individuals suspected of corruption and abuse of their public office.
The Task Force was named after the mythical Roman God Janus who was seen by the Roman people as a Gate Keeper and a patron of civil and social order.
The investigation team continue with their inquiries.