‘Task force to probe issue’

KUALA LUMPUR: Police have formed a task force to investigate the Inland Revenue Board’s (IRB) alleged failure to refund more than RM14 billion to taxpayers.

Federal Commercial Crimes Investigation Department deputy director Datuk Abd Rahim Jaafar said police had summoned the complainant, who lodged a report, to assist in the investigations.

He said police had opened an investigation paper under Section 409 of the Penal Code and had completed discussions on the direction of the case.

“We have opened the investigation paper and established a special team to investigate the case. We just concluded our discussions this (yesterday) evening.

“We summoned and recorded a statement yesterday from the individual who lodged the report,” he said.

Abd Rahim said police would be calling in individuals related to the case starting next week.

The New Straits Times Press reported yesterday that police were expected to summon IRB’s board of directors and previous management to record their statements on the “disappearance” of the income tax refunds for 1,653,786 taxpayers.

Among those expected to be called is former Treasury secretary-general Tan Sri Dr Mohd Irwan Serigar Abdullah.

Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng, on Wednesday, said the previous government had failed to refund the excess income tax and real property gains tax paid by taxpayers totalling RM16.046 billion as at May 31.

Lim said it was clear that the RM14.56 billion not transferred from the Consolidated Fund to Tax Refunds Trust Fund (TRTF) had been previously recognised as government revenue.