FALSE TAX RETURNS

Evening Star, Issue 19763, 13 January 1928, Page 7

FALSE TAX RETURNS

MELBOURNE COMPANY IN TROUBLE HEAVY FINES IMPOSED. Press Association—By Wireless—Copyright MELBOURNE, January 12. As an outcome of the raid on the Small Arms Company, William Bartlett (secretary of Abrahams Bros.), Fanny Cohen, Miriam Hyams, Esther Lyons, Louis Hyams, Phillip Hyams, and Harry Hyams were fined amounts totalling £I,OOO, with total costs of £2lO, The charges, to which all pleaded guilty, were of making false income tax returns. The defendants, with the exception of Bartlett, are relatives of Abrahams, and tbe Crown alleged that for some years past they acted as dumries, enabling Abrahams Bros, to pay income tax 12 to 16 per cent, less than the proper tax. [On warrants issued on an. information sworn by Mr R. J. Birch, senior investigating officer of the Taxation Department, eighteen constables and twenty taxation officials conducted raids on the Small Arms Company, Elizabeth street, the city residences of the company solicitors, and those of other persons believed to be associated with the company. Safe-opening experts, with oxy-acetylene apparatus, accompanied the party, and in two instances their services were required to open safes and strong rooms. Eight motor car loads of documents were seized in the raids, and these were examined by a special staff of taxation officers. The declaration of Mr Birch was to the effect that he had been investigating the company’s taxation returns, and he believed that many of them were fraudulent, and that an attempt was being made to defraud the Commonwealth.J