P700-M smuggling raps filed vs. oil firm’s execs

MANILA – The Bureau of Customs (BOC) on Thursday filed before the Department of Justice (DOJ) a P700-million smuggling charges against the officers of an Oillink International Corp., an oil importing company based in Pasig City.
Customs Commissioner Angelito “Lito” Alvarez said the accused officers were allegedly involved in an elaborate scheme of under-declaration and falsification of documents.
Alvarez identified them as Paul Chi Ting Co, chairman and owner; Esther P. Magleo, president; and Janice Co Reyes, importation and finance manager.
Oillink is located at 2701 West Tower, Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) Center, Pasig City.
Alvarez said that also charged were several John Does and Jane Does, among them, customs employees who allowed Oillink to evade payment of the correct duties and taxes.
Alvarez said that based on documents provided by shipping company Malteses Motorship Highland, Oillink imported from Korea a total of 221,244.82 barrels of oil, which were equivalent to 29,454.375 metric tons of gasoil, more popularly known as diesel fuel.
The whole shipment, which arrived on July 21, 2004 at Oillink’s terminal in Mariveles, Bataan had an equivalent volume of 35 million liters.
However, Oillink allegedly acknowledged and paid duties and taxes for no more than 177,244.82 barrels or 23,596.644 metric tons, nearly 6,000 metric tons or 44,000 barrels less than the volume indicated in the ship’s Surveyor Report submitted by the company Intertek Caleb Brett-Kimsco of Korea.
Records show that Oillink’s modus operandi was to break their shipment into five parcels covered by different bills of lading but pay duties and taxes for only four parcels.
The manipulation would come in the form of spurious documents that showed Oillink only imported parcels A to D.
Obviously, Oillink did not declare parcel E reflected in the Tanker’s Time Sheet to evade payment of the correct duties and taxes.