Mighty top exec denies tax evasion

The top executive of tobacco firm Mighty Corp. appeared before the Department of Justice (DOJ) yesterday to deny the multibillion-peso tax evasion charges filed by the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR).

Mighty Corp. president and retired Armed Forces general Edilberto Adan submitted his counter-affidavit to the investigating panel of prosecutors during the second hearing on the P9.56billion tax evasion complaint and denied charges of nonpayment of excise tax.

Members of the media were barred from covering the proceedings for undisclosed reasons.

It was only after the hearing that the DOJ panel confirmed the submission of Adan’s answer.

“In the first hearing (last May 4) the other respondents already submitted their counter-affidavits. Today, it was respondent Adan who submitted his counter-affidavit,” Senior Assistant State Prosecutor Maria Lourdes Uy said.

The other respondents in the case are company owner and vice president for external affairs Alexander Wongchuking; company executive vice president and retired judge Oscar Barrientos; and company treasurer Ernesto Victa.

Uy revealed that the next hearing would be held on May 18 for submission of reply of the BIR.

Reporters were unable to get copies of the documents submitted during the hearing.

Earlier this week, the BIR slapped Mighty Corp. with another tax evasion case amounting to P26.93 billion, bringing the firm’s alleged total tax liability to P36.49 billion – the largest tax evasion case under the administration of President Duterte.

Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II said that the DOJ would move for the consolidation of the two tax evasion complaints.