CRACKDOWN. Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) Commissioner Romeo Lumagui Jr. (center, holding papers) leads the filing of criminal charges against various individuals before the Department of Justice (DOJ) in Manila on Feb. 2, 2023. Bureau of Internal Revenue Commissioner Romeo Lumagui Jr. said the BIR won the criminal case against the corporate officers and accountant of Buildforce Trading Inc. (PNA photo by Yancy Lim)
MANILA – Bureau of Internal Revenue Commissioner Romeo Lumagui Jr. said the BIR won the criminal case against the corporate officers and accountant of Buildforce Trading Inc.
"Just this February 2024, we won criminal cases before the DOJ against the ghost receipts syndicate. The first day of March 2024, we won another criminal case against the syndicate. This syndicate ends now. The culture of using ghost receipts ends now," he said in a statement on Monday.
Lumagui said that after the DOJ win, criminal cases have been filed before the courts against the corporate officers and accountant of Buildforce Trading Inc.
He said seven criminal cases before the Regional Trial Court and Metropolitan Trial Court of Quezon City were filed for violations of Sections 254 and 255 in relation to Sections 253(d) and 256 and violation of Section 257(A)(2) of the National Internal Revenue Code, as amended.
Last Feb. 15, 2024, Lumagui, together with representatives from the DOJ, also went to the Regional Trial Court and Metropolitan Trial Court for the filing of criminal cases against the corporate officers and accountant of Decarich Supertrade Inc. and Redington Corporation.
"The use of ghost receipts is economic sabotage. It is the highest form of tax evasion," Lumagui said.
"The BIR will not stop auditing and filing criminal cases against those involved. The consecutive victories we have before the DOJ shows that what the perpetrators are doing is criminal in nature," he added.
Lumagui said that after winning at the DOJ level, the criminal cases against Decarich Supertrade Inc., Redington Corporation and Buildforce Trading Inc. are now pending before the courts. (PNA)
