[h=2]PRC: We don’t know Singapore laws well[/h]
April 16th, 2014 |
Author: Editorial
Singapore Customs uncovered attempts by China-born Singaporean Qi Shuai, 28, to pass off shipments of duty-unpaid beer and rice wine as goods such as instant noodles and vinegar. (Photo: SG Customs)
A company director and new citizen, Qi Shuai, 28, was fined $1.95 million on Monday (14 Apr) for importing duty-unpaid liquor. This is the biggest penalty of its kind here in 5 years.
Qi, an ex-PRC, pleaded guilty to 6 charges of importing, possessing and dealing in duty-unpaid beer and rice wine. He also pleaded guilty to a charge of unauthorised breaking of a Singapore Customs seal. 6 more charges were taken into consideration in sentencing.
The total duty and GST evaded on the 28,406 bottles and 13,193 cans of duty-unpaid beer and 9,165 bottles of duty-unpaid rice wine exceeded $198,000.
Singapore Customs began investigations into Qi’s trading company, Tita Logistics, 2 years ago, acting on a tip-off.
A container of goods imported by Qi was declared as soft drinks, instant noodles and vinegar when it actually contained liquor. The container arrived at the Pasir Panjang Terminal on 26 May 2012, and was immediately targeted by Singapore Customs officers for sealing to facilitate further checks on the goods.
However, 2 days later, before the Singapore Customs officers could inspect the sealed container, Qi broke the Customs seal and the officers found that the goods inside the container had been removed. The officers searched the company premises and seized a total of 15,780 bottles and 8,448 cans of duty-unpaid beer, and 1,500 bottles of duty-unpaid rice wine, which were found to have been unloaded from the container. They also seized another 1,766 bottles and 4,025 cans of duty-unpaid beer and 120 bottles of duty-unpaid rice wine, as Qi could not produce documents to show that duty and GST for these goods had been paid.
Less than 2 weeks later on 5 Jun 2012, Qi did it again. Singapore Customs officers checked another consignment of goods imported by Qi, which was again declared as soft drinks, seasoning and seasoning wine. When the officers opened the container, 750 bottles of duty-unpaid rice wine were found instead. The customs officers also found that Qi had sold some 10,860 bottles and 720 cans of duty-unpaid beer and 6,795 bottles of duty-unpaid rice wine between December 2011 and May 2012. Qi could not produce documents to show that duty and GST were paid for the liquor sold.
As Qi is unable or unwilling to pay the $1.95 million fine, he is currently serving a jail sentence of 29 months and 3 weeks.
Mr Liu Jiannan, a Singapore PR, took over as company director of Tita Logistics last month. He told the media in Mandarin, “Business has not been affected and we’re striving to put this episode behind us. We came to Singapore for entrepreneurship and being a new company at the time, we did not know the country’s laws well.”
“We’ve learnt a valuable lesson. We don’t have anything to hide and so we won’t be changing our company name.”
One does not need to know the nitty gritty of the law to know that making a false declaration to the authorities is wrong. Surely Qi knows the difference between soft drinks and instant noodles, and liquor?
A company director and new citizen, Qi Shuai, 28, was fined $1.95 million on Monday (14 Apr) for importing duty-unpaid liquor. This is the biggest penalty of its kind here in 5 years.
Qi, an ex-PRC, pleaded guilty to 6 charges of importing, possessing and dealing in duty-unpaid beer and rice wine. He also pleaded guilty to a charge of unauthorised breaking of a Singapore Customs seal. 6 more charges were taken into consideration in sentencing.
The total duty and GST evaded on the 28,406 bottles and 13,193 cans of duty-unpaid beer and 9,165 bottles of duty-unpaid rice wine exceeded $198,000.
Singapore Customs began investigations into Qi’s trading company, Tita Logistics, 2 years ago, acting on a tip-off.
A container of goods imported by Qi was declared as soft drinks, instant noodles and vinegar when it actually contained liquor. The container arrived at the Pasir Panjang Terminal on 26 May 2012, and was immediately targeted by Singapore Customs officers for sealing to facilitate further checks on the goods.
However, 2 days later, before the Singapore Customs officers could inspect the sealed container, Qi broke the Customs seal and the officers found that the goods inside the container had been removed. The officers searched the company premises and seized a total of 15,780 bottles and 8,448 cans of duty-unpaid beer, and 1,500 bottles of duty-unpaid rice wine, which were found to have been unloaded from the container. They also seized another 1,766 bottles and 4,025 cans of duty-unpaid beer and 120 bottles of duty-unpaid rice wine, as Qi could not produce documents to show that duty and GST for these goods had been paid.
Less than 2 weeks later on 5 Jun 2012, Qi did it again. Singapore Customs officers checked another consignment of goods imported by Qi, which was again declared as soft drinks, seasoning and seasoning wine. When the officers opened the container, 750 bottles of duty-unpaid rice wine were found instead. The customs officers also found that Qi had sold some 10,860 bottles and 720 cans of duty-unpaid beer and 6,795 bottles of duty-unpaid rice wine between December 2011 and May 2012. Qi could not produce documents to show that duty and GST were paid for the liquor sold.
As Qi is unable or unwilling to pay the $1.95 million fine, he is currently serving a jail sentence of 29 months and 3 weeks.
Mr Liu Jiannan, a Singapore PR, took over as company director of Tita Logistics last month. He told the media in Mandarin, “Business has not been affected and we’re striving to put this episode behind us. We came to Singapore for entrepreneurship and being a new company at the time, we did not know the country’s laws well.”
“We’ve learnt a valuable lesson. We don’t have anything to hide and so we won’t be changing our company name.”
One does not need to know the nitty gritty of the law to know that making a false declaration to the authorities is wrong. Surely Qi knows the difference between soft drinks and instant noodles, and liquor?
