Finance ministry director on fraud rap

UNDER NORMAL circumstances, a person importing a 2005 Nissan Titan pickup would pay $1.9 million in customs duties.

But after a member of staff at the Ministry of Finance allegedly fraudulently assisted in obtaining a waiver, one importer paid just over $600,000.

The cost of corruption to the State: More than $1.2 million in waiver duties.

Already, one person, Cherry Gordon, a senior director in the taxation policy unit, has been slapped with several criminal charges by the police.

At least one other person could be charged, the police told The Gleaner.

Gordon has been charged with conspiracy to defraud, conspiracy to deceive, forgery and breaches of the Corruption Prevention Act.

A detective at the police Fraud Squad said Gordon used her position to "prepare, or caused to be prepared, fraudulent waiver letters for a 2005 Nissan Titan pickup".

The detective said Gordon signed the waiver letters on behalf of the financial secretary even though she was not authorised to do so.

"The waiver letters, which were not authorised by the minister of finance, found their way through unscrupulous channels to the Department of Customs," the police said.

Gordon has been released on $300,000 bail. She is scheduled to return to court on July 19.

Finance Minister Audley Shaw signalled to government workers during the Budget Debate that persons facilitating the leakage of tax revenues would be pursued and punished.

"I am promising every public-sector worker who is involved in any kind of act to defraud the Government: We are going to track you down and we are going to lock you up and put away the key," he said in April.