2007 media releases
Samoan chief receives two years' home detention
24 October 2007
Samoan paramount chief, former Samoan MP and company director Seminary Iakopo Fepuleai was sentenced last week to two years' home detention for tax evasion.
A two-week trial in the Manukau District Court culminated in a jury finding Fepuleai guilty of 46 counts of GST and income tax evasion, involving more than $800,494 in unpaid tax.
The court heard that between 1997 and 2004, Fepuleai operated three companies providing labour to fruit and vegetable growers, despite being bankrupted between 1997 and 2000.
The companies operated in the South Auckland and Waikato regions, and contracted with fruit and vegetable growers to supply labourers to undertake tasks such as onion clipping and kiwifruit picking.
Fepuleai was responsible for all activities undertaken by the companies including negotiating contracts, issuing tax invoices, filing returns and the employment of staff.
During Inland Revenue's investigation, Fepuleai admitted GST, PAYE and any left-over funds had been taken to pay personal debts as a result of money lost in a Nigerian loan scam. However, he could not supply any documentation to support claims that he had lost money in the scam.
PAYE is deducted from employees' wages and must be promptly paid to Inland Revenue. "Employers do not have the right to use employees' deductions to pay their personal debt or other creditors," said Inland Revenue Area Manager Investigations, Neil Lewer.
The community expects taxes will be used for the benefit of the country as a whole, not for filling the pockets of an individual, he said. "This sentence sends a strong warning to those who deliberately attempt to evade their taxes, and shows the consequences of being found out."
Other media releases this year
- Draft guidelines released for new R&D tax credit
- Man extradited from Australia to face tax charges
- Working for Families Tax Credits to be made early
- Inland Revenue alerts tax professionals
- 'Money man' behind major tax scam jailed
- Third conviction in Rawleigh tax evasion case
- Early working for families tax credits scheduled
- Cash businesses are in the spotlight
- Inland Revenue transfers first KiwiSaver funds to scheme providers
- Late filers advised to contact Inland Revenue
- Wellington Inland Revenue staff to centralise
- Christchurch businessman fined $20,000 on tax charges
- Hamilton JP jailed for two years for $1.1 million tax evasion
- Businessman pleads guilty to $1.3 million in tax charges
- Jail term extended for Tauranga tax evader
- Inland Revenue offers Language Line
- Inland Revenue wins prestigious IT award
- Inland Revenue simplifies tax with Business Is Booming
- Inland Revenue reassures people affected by weather
- Customers urged to contact Inland Revenue
- Inland Revenue issues GST statement on unconditional property sale agreements
- KiwiSaver information readily available from Inland Revenue
- Scott Anderson bankrupted for unpaid debt of $13 million
- Inland Revenue welcomes 'Trinity' court ruling
- Christchurch tourism operators' concern leads to community service for tax evader
- Inland Revenue welcomes prison sentence for GST fraud
- Levin man sent to jail over $45,000 in GST fraud
- Businessman who "undercut the opposition" jailed for tax fraud
- Accountant's low profits prompted tax audit
- "Not a lot" of effort to pay taxes results in jail term for tax evasion
- Tiler in court for keeping staff tax payments
- Northland flood victims should call if having problems with tax payments
- Tax agent fined $10,000 for refusing to cooperate with Inland Revenue
- Early Working for Families Tax Credits payments
- Nelson man in court for not passing on employees' tax payments
- Tax season underway
- Businesses foolish to try to suppress details of income
- Dairy owner in court for cheating on taxes over seven years
- Two years' prison for 146 tax offences
- Refusing to cooperate with Inland Revenue lands couple in court
- Prison sentence upholds integrity of tax system, says Inland Revenue
- Early family assistance payments
- Tax payments due on 7 February
Corporate Affairs
Inland Revenue
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Date published: 24 Oct 2007
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