GOLD DEALERS ACQUITTED
High Court of Solomon Islands.
The Magistrates Court has acquitted a Polish gold dealer and his local agent for making false declaration to customs and trying to evade export duties after failing to declare more than 5-hundred grams of gold dust.
The two men were charged with two counts each for false declaration and tax evasion of export duties.
The charges claimed they only declared 470 grams.
Both men denied the charges and stood trial.
Delivering his judgement, Principal Magistrate Rodgers Tovosia expressed he was not satisfied that the Crown had proven the defendants guilty of the charges.
Magistrate Tovosia also said he was not satisfied that the first defendant, the Polish gold dealer- had the state of mind to make a false declaration, and to evade payment of the required amount of tax.
On the second defendant, Magistrate Tovosia said he believes from evidence, the defendant had made an honest mistake.
He also ordered that the gold dust were to be returned to the two defendants.
SIBC News understands the gold dust was confiscated when the men were charged.