Ethiopia arrested 105 businessmen over alleged tax evasion

borkena
February 27,2019

About 105 businessmen are arrested over an alleged tax evasion in the capital Addis Ababa.

Adanech Abebe, minister of the ministry of revenue, said over 135 businesses are identified for “plundering public resources and tax evasion,” according to a report by state affiliated FanaBC.

The ministry claims the alleged tax evasion to be in amount of 14 billion Ethiopian Birr.

How did it establish the case? The cases of tax evasion are established after conducting an audit,says the ministry, and 57 businesses are transferred to the department of criminal investigation and their case is to be prosecuted in court.

64 individuals already appeared in court, FanaBC cited Adanech Abebe as saying.

She is also cited as saying that suspects of the tax evasion are mostly distributors and importers. Only 30 of business people in custody are in the retail business, according to the report.

Government is working to recover the 14 billion Ethiopian Birr that it is allegedly lost to tax evasion, according to the minister. Apparently, she has not spelled out how government is intending to recover it.

As well, it is unclear if the suspects have already hired a lawyer and their side of the story is not reflected in reports by state affiliated media.



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