Indian-Origin Businessman In Scotland To Hand Over Big Sums In Unpaid 'Tax'

An Indian-origin businessman has agreed to hand over 600,000 pounds linked to unpaid tax over and above 1,000,000 pounds recovered from his bank accounts in what the Scottish authorities have described as a landmark settlement following a civil investigation. Goljar Singh, 44, from the East Lothian region of Scotland will relinquish the funds under proceeds of crime legislation following an agreement with the Civil Recovery Unit (CRU) and His Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC).

According to Scotland's prosecution service this week, 1,000,000 pounds was remitted from the bank accounts of businesses linked to Singh. The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) said the settlement is one of the highest ever sums of cash recovered in a single case by the CRU, which is a specialist team of solicitors and financial investigators working on behalf of Scottish ministers. "This case has been an excellent example of interagency working between CRU, HMRC and Police Scotland," said Anne-Louise House, head of the CRU, welcoming the "milestone outcome".

"The resolution represents one of the largest cash sums recovered by the unit. The money recovered from this individual has been transferred to the Scottish Consolidated Fund which invests money to support communities across Scotland, through the Scottish Government's Cash Back for Communities Programme," she said. Matters came to light in March 2021 when police gathered reports that several bank accounts connected to Singh had received large cash deposits through the same Post Office over several weeks. Alerted to the transactions, police officers began enquiries amid suspicions at a time when the country was in COVID-19 lockdown, the authorities said.

In May 2021, a police search of Singh's house revealed several suitcases and bags containing more than 3,000 envelopes filled with cash. The total sum recovered was 692,027.86 pounds and of that amount, Singh agreed that 600,000 pounds was recoverable property. Laura Buchan, Procurator Fiscal for Specialist Case work, said: "Civil recovery is a vital tool for disrupting crime in Scotland and one of the many ways we can target those who profit from crime.

"The Civil Recovery Unit has a range of powers to target unlawful profits and the work to deter and detect unlawful activity is ongoing." The CRU works with other law enforcement agencies to identify and recover the proceeds of crime and settlements contribute to the region's Serious Organised Crime Taskforce. "This is an outstanding result and underlines the value of working closely with our colleagues in the Civil Recovery Unit and HMRC," said a Police Scotland spokesperson.

"These investigations can be challenging and complex but with specialist teams working together, we can achieve exceptional outcomes. Police Scotland's Serious and Organised Crime Financial Investigation Unit is committed to targeting individuals and companies who profit from illicit activities, and we will use all available resources to ensure this does not happen," the spokesperson said.

(PTI)