MANILA - The Philippines said on Thursday it had filed a US$567 million (S$734 million) smuggling complaint against the local unit of Royal Dutch Shell Plc, accusing the oil major of avoiding excise duties and taxes.
The chairman of Pilipinas Shell Petroleum said the company had never engaged in smuggling.
The government said some officers, employees, and customs brokers of Pilipinas Shell had intentionally misclassified fuel imports between 2007 and 2009 and misdeclared imports between August 2005 and December 2008.
'This criminal complaint against Pilipinas Shell should prove to everyone that President (Benigno) Aquino's campaign against smuggling, corruption and other economic crimes respect no sacred cows,' Customs Commissioner Angelito Alvarez told reporters.
In total, the government was seeking 24.486 billion pesos (S$734 million), including lost revenues of 2.7 billion pesos and penalties, a record claim. The charges were filed with the Department of Justice, which will investigate the claims.
The government said the complaint was separate from a tax collection case pending with the Court of Tax Appeals, but Chua said Pilipinas Shell believed the complaint was covered in the pending case. -- REUTERS
