Tanzanian investor evades nearly $8 million taxes, goes into hiding


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Miners at work. Tanzania government is threatening to revoke the licence of Aureus Company Ltd, a mining firm, over tax evasion. Photo/FILE Nation Media Group
By ADAM IHUCHA Special Correspondent

Posted Saturday, September 22 2012 at 15:52

IN SUMMARY

  • Aureus Company Ltd, which operates two gold smelting plants on the outskirts of Mwanza city in western Tanzania, is accused of evading payment of Tsh12.472 billion (nearly $8 million) in taxes.
  • Deputy Minister for Energy and Minerals Stephen Masele told The EastAfrican that Tanzanian security agencies and Interpol are searching for its owner, Mark Rene Roelandts, in Belgium and Spain, as he is believed to be hiding in one of the two countries.
  • An audit by the Tanzania Mineral Audit Agency revealed that through false accounting from 2006 to 2010, Aureus understated figures for gold production, exports and profits.
  • A report of the audit, shows that the company also smuggled a total of 63.27 kg of gold, worth Tsh2.763 billion ($1.758 million) to individuals in the Italian Mafia.
  • The firm also failed to pay Value Added Tax amounting to Tsh9.085 billion ($5.796 million); Pay As You Earn tax of Tsh252.683 million ($160,838.475) and royalty fees amounting to Tsh371.026 million ($236,023.237) for all operations and gold exports during that period.

The Tanzania government is threatening to revoke the licence of a mining firm over tax evasion.

Aureus Company Ltd, which operates two gold smelting plants
on the outskirts of Mwanza city in western Tanzania, is accused of evading payment of Tsh12.472 billion (nearly $8 million) in taxes.

Deputy Minister for Energy and Minerals Stephen Masele told The EastAfrican that Tanzanian security agencies and Interpol are searching for its owner, Mark Rene Roelandts, in Belgium and Spain, as he is believed to be hiding in one of the two countries.


An audit by the Tanzania Mineral Audit Agency revealed that through false accounting from 2006 to 2010, Aureus understated figures for gold production, exports and profits.


A report of the audit, shows that the company also smuggled a total of 63.27 kg of gold, worth Tsh2.763 billion ($1.758 million) to individuals in the Italian Mafia.

The firm also failed to pay Value Added Tax amounting to Tsh9.085 billion ($5.796 million); Pay As You Earn tax of Tsh252.683 million ($160,838.475) and royalty fees amounting to Tsh371.026 million ($236,023.237) for all operations and gold exports during that period.

According to Mr Masele, the Tanzania government is "outraged" by the investor's action. He said: "A red line has been crossed. The government will nullify the firm's mining licence, in addition to taking other legal measures against the company."

The deputy minister said that, on September 9, Aureus flouted the rule requiring that production chains and export processes be closely supervised and monitored by a government agency.

Aureus acquired the plant from Mineral Extraction Technologies Ltd, which had been accused of using gold bars to help Italian groups, including the right wing Northern League (Lega Nord), launder money.

Police found that the party's treasurer, Francesco Belsito, was in business with a man who had been investigated for links to the Calabrian mafia, the Ndrangheta. Belsito was found to have gold bars originating from Tanzania.

The financial scandal forced the head of the Northern League, Umberto Bossi, to resign.


The party, which has investments in Cyprus and Tanzania, is also being scrutinised for possible links to organised crime.


Investigators say they have found a link between the tax evasion and the Italian party and a gold smuggling ring. The cash from the sale of the gold is believed to be deposited in accounts in Switzerland under a fictitious name.


Earlier in the month, Tanzania police arrested three officals of Aureus Ltd - plant supervisor David Gommeren, a Dutch national, production manager Gidion Ludwick, a South African, and Andrey Vash from Israel, after Members of Parliament accused the firm of exporting minerals illegally.


Mr Roelandts has, through his lawyers Mark Associates Attorneys, disputed the allegations. In a letter to the National Assembly Speaker, Anne Makinda, Mr Roelandts' lawyers termed the accusations "malicious and defamatory."


The lawyers said their client was "neither a spy nor a tax evader as alleged. Neither is he an illegal immigrant nor a smuggler as claimed by MPs."



Additional reporting by Mike Mande



 
The 1st Owner of the MINE was a Calabrian mafia, the Ndrangheta.

Now the new Owner is evading Taxes... OH What??? Serikali haikujua Mwanza yetu...
 
Yaani wewe ungejua hiyo mihabari yako ya kiingereza ilivyokosa mvuto usingekuwa unajihangaisha kupoteza muda kuyaposti humu.
 
Radhia Sweety said:
Yaani wewe ungejua hiyo mihabari yako ya kiingereza ilivyokosa mvuto usingekuwa unajihangaisha kupoteza muda kuyaposti humu.
Click to expand...

Labda ni kwako imepoteza MVUTO; Kuna wanaosoma MBONA wanasoma Habari ?

Au ulitaka pia nikutafsirie? Sio wote wanaosoma humu ni wanaishi Tanzania tu; ACHA UBAGUZI
 
nngu007 said:
Labda ni kwako imepoteza MVUTO; Kuna wanaosoma MBONA wanasoma Habari ?

Au ulitaka pia nikutafsirie? Sio wote wanaosoma humu ni wanaishi Tanzania tu; ACHA UBAGUZI
Click to expand...

mkuu huwa nakubali sana nyuzi zako zenye source ya kueleweka na habari za kuaminika, achana na hao wanaokuponda wao wanafikiri kila mtu anapenda kusoma habari za udaku. Much respect bila kuwasahau Candid Scope, BAK
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Narubongo said:
mkuu huwa nakubali sana nyuzi zako zenye source ya kueleweka na habari za kuaminika, achana na hao wanaokuponda wao wanafikiri kila mtu anapenda kusoma habari za udaku. Much respect bila kuwasahau Candid Scope, BAK
Click to expand...
Duh! Kazi ipo, kwa hiyo Habari ikiandikwa kwa Kiswahili ni ya Udaku, ila ikiandikwa Kiingereza ndio ya kuaminika, sasa naanza kuelewa Raisi Bw. J.K. Nyerere alimaanisha nini aliposema "Kwa Mswahili hata jambo liwe la kiipuzi namna gani lakini likiandikwa kwa Kiingereza ataliona la maana."


 
Well done the so called investor, I call you a genius business man. You have made a super profit, I can guess you are heading to any of those posh island in the caribean to enjoy those sweet money of yours. Investors are after super profit. Full stop. Until when our leaders will understand this will the so called investors stop to be heroes. Wawekezaji kazi yao ni kupiga mabao tu. Nani kasema wawekezaji ni wajomba zetu watuletee maendeleo?
 
Miners at work. Tanzania government is threatening to revoke the licence of Aureus Company Ltd, a mining firm, over tax evasion
Click to expand...

Hao hawakutakiwa kutishiwa nyau, serikali inge-revoke huo mkataba moja kwa moja bila ya majadiliano, na wenye au mwenye mgodi ni wakutiwa ndani. Serikali ilitakiwaku-cease for tax invasion. Na tungeikinga mkataba mpya na Wawekezaji wengine kwa 50% hawataki waondoke.
 
these are purely thugs in Armani suits protected by Magmba regime..i don't get why they qualified to be wawekezaji..bora mkoloni arudi tujue moja!
 
Watu tiki seam UwT umepoteza maana wanna seam tuna wivu!!!!!

taasisi hivi muhimu kwa maendeleo ya kiuchumi na usalama wa nchi imebaki kutumiwa na wanasiasa huku nchi ikiibiwa tu.
 
Mzalendo80 said:
Hao hawakutakiwa kutishiwa nyau, serikali inge-revoke huo mkataba moja kwa moja bila ya majadiliano, na wenye au mwenye mgodi ni wakutiwa ndani. Serikali ilitakiwaku-cease for tax invasion. Na tungeikinga mkataba mpya na Wawekezaji wengine kwa 50% hawataki waondoke.
Click to expand...

Hao jamaa wa Aureus nasikia ni wakali kwa kuibia nchi, wameshika policcm wote mza, ila walikwama kwa Tmaa. Nasikia wameanza kuuza vitu kwa wahindi wakimbie nchi. Serikali chunguzeni hao. Peoples wangekuwa wameshika nchi hao wangekiona.
 
JIS said:
Hao jamaa wa Aureus nasikia ni wakali kwa kuibia nchi, wameshika policcm wote mza, ila walikwama kwa Tmaa. Nasikia wameanza kuuza vitu kwa wahindi wakimbie nchi. Serikali chunguzeni hao. Peoples wangekuwa wameshika nchi hao wangekiona.
Click to expand...

Serikali gani itachunguza mkuu? Maana vyombo vya kufanya haya yote viko compromised!!!
 
nngu007 said:
The 1st Owner of the MINE was a Calabrian mafia, the Ndrangheta.

Now the new Owner is evading Taxes... OH What??? Serikali haikujua Mwanza yetu...
Click to expand...

MtamaMchungu said:
Huyu jamaa alisemwa bungeni na Hamad Rashid na Ezekiel Wenje... Na hapa jamii forums

Cheki Hizi links

Belgian investor saga takes new twist


The Belgian businessman Marc Roelandts is making me uneasy
Click to expand...

TIC wanajua chochote kuhusu huyu bwana? Ngeleja ana maelezo gani? Waziri wa mambo ya ndani pamoja yule wa wizara ya kazi wote wameridhika huyu bwana anafaa kuwepo nchini?
 
FJM said:
TIC wanajua chochote kuhusu huyu bwana? Ngeleja ana maelezo gani? Waziri wa mambo ya ndani pamoja yule wa wizara ya kazi wote wameridhika huyu bwana anafaa kuwepo nchini?
Click to expand...

Hapo kwenye RED, nimewahi kumsikia mwakilishi wa TIC kwenye kipindi cha Kipima Joto(ITV) akisema wao (TIC) hawahusiki na uwekezaji kwenye madini, hilo ni jukumu la Wizara ya Nishati na madini. Wao wamepewa vihoteli vya kitalii na tuviwanda twa juice, huko kwenye vinono wanadeal hao mafisadi wetu. Mungu atusaidie
 
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