Kathmandu, December 10

The Department of Revenue Investigation has charged 42 firms, including popular apparel brand Adidas, with misappropriating revenue. An investigation carried out by the department found that the 42 firms had not paid revenue worth Rs 5.77 billion.

“Our investigation has revealed that many firms had not been paying taxes due at the customs offices while importing goods. Adidas had not paid revenue worth Rs 750 million,” said Dirgha Raj Mainali, director general of the department.

Mainali said the investigation had also revealed the involvement of eight government officials of the revenue administration in the fraud.

The DRI began its probe into the issue in mid-August and filed a case against the accused at the Kathmandu District Court.

Among the many cases that the DRI filed today, Ranjan Tripathi, director of Miteri International, importer of Adidas products, has been accused of fraud and the department has sought the principal amount and fine totalling Rs 150 million from him, in addition to three-year imprisonment. A case has also been lodged against Suman Shrestha, Dhiraj Kumar Thapa and Pabitra Kumar Khadka of Miteri International, seeking Rs 150 million each towards the principal amount and fine, besides three-year jail sentence. DRI has also filed a case against Dhan Bahadur Tamang and Dambar Bahadur Shrestha of Miteri International, seeking Rs 75.9 million from each of them, in addition to one-year jail term.

Bharat Bahadur Aryal, Sushil Pandey, Sabitri Shrestha and Krishna Bahadur Shrestha, directors of Suvan International, have also been accused of the fraud and DRI has sought Rs 1.8 million from each of them, besides a three-year sentence.

The department has also booked Tshering Ngndup Lama and Lhopsang Tenge for illegally importing 10 kg gold and has sought Rs 540 million as principal amount and fine, besides three-year jail term for them. The DRI has accused Arun Kumar Das and Roshan Kumar Das of misusing foreign currency and has sought Rs 2.20 billion in principal amount and fine from them and three-year imprisonment for them.

Binod Kumar Gupta, director of Himalayan Cargo, has been booked for not paying applicable taxes to the government for a decade. DRI has sought three-year jail term for him, besides Rs 2.72 billion as fine and the principal amount.

The DRI has also accused Bahadur Tamang of illegally importing five kilograms of gold, and sought Rs 120 million in principal amount and fine and three-year jail term for him.

According to DRI, all 42 firms have deposited a total of Rs 225 million as security money at the Kathmandu District Court. All the cases are related to imports from Rasuwagadi customs office.