Tax Evasion: 3 Melcom Branch Managers Arrested For Alleged Tax Crimes

• Three managers of popular supermarket chain Melcom are in the grips of police for alleged tax irregularities
• They were arrested at the Melcom branches in Kasoa, Achimota, and North Industrial Area on Wednesday, February 1, 2023
• They are said to be issuing unapproved invoices that would deny the state the appropriate taxes on their sales

Tax officials have caused the arrest of three branch managers of popular supermarket chain Melcom for stealing from the state through tax irregularities.

The managers were arrested at the Melcom branches in Kasoa, Achimota, and North Industrial Area.

Police picked up the managers on Wednesday, February 1, 2023, for failing to issue electronic VAT invoices to customers. Tax officials said they were instead issuing unapproved invoices to customers in a bid to evade tax. The names of the three branch managers have not been released to the media.

Read also

Police bust 12 members of organised crime syndicate involved in carjacking, robbery and murder

While the electronic VAT was common at all supermarkets, Melcom is among 50 selected shopping centres engaged by the GRA to pilot the e-VAT initiative.

The e-VAT aims to improve transparency in tax payments.

Officials of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) who embarked on the tax compliance exercise have involved the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to investigate the suspected tax evasion by Melcom.

The three Melcom branch managers will be later prosecuted and face a five-year sentence under a new law if they are found guilty.

Meanwhile, some of the managers have said they were not issuing the e-VAT invoices because of technical challenges.

The GRA has said they would look into the claims.

Melcom has hundreds of shops spread all over Ghana.

The popular supermarket chain was started in 1989 by Indian magnate, Bhagwan Khubchandani, whose late dad, Ramchand Khubchandani arrived in Ghana (then Gold Coast) in 1929 as a 14-year-old to work as a store boy.

Read also

Managers of Spintex Road China Mall, Sneda Shopping and Junction Mall Shoprite arrested for evading tax

China Mall, Sneda and Shoprite managers arrested over tax evasion

Meanwhile, YEN.com.gh has reported in a separate story that managers of China Mall on Spintex Road, Sneda Shopping and the Junction Mall Shoprite were also arrested.

The managers were arrested by the GRA’s task force on Monday, January 31, 2023, for non-payment of taxes.

The GRA is on a special operation to clamp down on companies defaulting on their tax obligations.

Source: YEN.com.gh