Former manager has case to answer over tax documents

A former business operation manager, charged with falsifying tax documents, appeared at the Suva Magistrate Court earlier this week.

Reginald Lal has a case to answer after dismissing his application seeking to have the charge against him dismissed without him presenting a defence.

Lal appeared before Resident Magistrate Joseph Daurewa following a case brought by the Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption (FICAC).

Lal, a operations manager of N.Mudaliar & Company, faces one count of falsification of document.

FICAC alleges that between January 1 and December 31, 2016, Lal dishonestly falsified four Fiji Revenue and Customs Authority (FRCS) Tax Compliance Certificates (TCCs) on separate occasions.

Magistrate Daurewa referred to evidence from an FRCS representative who confirmed that four certificates bearing her signature were fraudulent.

The court heard that he had not signed any tax compliance certificates in 2016.

The name that should have appeared on the official certificates for that period was Visvanath Dass.

Another prosecution witness testified that Lal personally delivered the four disputed certificates to a client