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Lebanese businessman in police custody
for refusing to pay VAT
Accra, July 24, GNA - Malik Hassan, a Lebanese Assistant
Director of Viva Pal Foods Limited, suppliers of assorted
food has been placed in Police Custody and his assets and
passport confiscated for refusing to pay his VAT returns and
allegedly attempting to abscond with the debt of 365,000 GH
Cedis or 3.6 billion cedis.
The VAT Service ordered his arrest on Monday.
Mr Henry Brandford Sam of the Enforcement and Debt
Management Unit of the Service told newsmen that the company
had refused to honour its VAT obligation in spite of
persistent notices.
He said when the Service that had been following the
operations of the Company based at Tesano in Accra and
Kumasi for sometime informed Viva Pal Foods of their
indebtedness it decided to operate at "obscure" hours.
According to him the Service would be compelled to auction
his property if he refused to settle the debt.
Mr Anthony Ewereko Minlah, VAT Commissioner, also told GNA
that Hassan's Lawyers were arranging bail for him and would
be expected to report to the Police twice a day until the
company's debt, penalties and the cost of the distress
action were paid in full.
He stated that the Service would apply the use of distress
action or any other mechanism by the law to ensure that they
retrieved all debts.
The Commissioner said the Service was cautious with people
who defaulted, adding that, it did not enjoy confiscating
the property or embarrassing any company and appealed to the
public to pay their VAT returns for the government to
generate more revenue for development.
GNA
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