The High Court has sentenced Damchoe Choden, popularly known as Anim Damchoe, to nine years in prison for tax evasion. She has also been asked to restitute over Nu 63 M to the government within six months. Anim Damchoe was found guilty of evading tax in relation to her cordyceps business, Lhaimetog Export and Import Enterprise. The verdict was passed last week.
Anim Damchoe with her Lhaimetog Export and Import Enterprise was found to have evaded tax for eight years from 2010 to 2017. The High Court judgment states that she and her accomplice used various techniques to evade over Nu 16 M in business income tax.
The judgment states that during the eight years, her cordyceps business made over Nu 124 M in revenue but declared only Nu 29 M as revenue to the Revenue and Customs Office in Thimphu.
Similarly, the chief executive officer of the Lhaimetog Export and Import, Younten Jamtsho, was sentenced to three years in prison for aiding and abetting Anim Damchoe in tax evasion.
According to the judgment, he produced double books of accounts and made double invoices to hide business revenue and evade taxes.
The duo has been convicted under various sections of the Income Tax Act of Bhutan 2001, Penal Code of Bhutan 2004, Anti Corruption Act of Bhutan 2011, and the Evidence Act of Bhutan 2005.
Karma Wangdi
Edited by Sherub Dorji
