The financial crimes squad SDOE is preparing to charge the Carrefour-Marinopoulos group of dodging VAT payments in Greece via a fake invoice scam with businesses based in another EU country. The investigation of the economic agency showed alleged fraud.
In an announcement the same day, Carrefour-Marinopoulos has denied the charges, stressing that all its dealings with foreign suppliers were in full compliance with the laws.
According to the findings of the SDOE investigation, the company Orbicom issued fake invoices to Carrefour-Marinopoulos SA supermarket chain in 2007 and 2008, for the supply of goods that never actually took place.
Tax authorities have confirmed the findings of the SDOE report and are now working in cooperation with Carrefour-Marinopoulos SA on the case. SDOE said Orbicom is no longer in operation and has already slapped fines and penalties amounting to 300 million euros on the company for tax evasion.
In an announcement, Carrefour-Marinopoulos SA denied any wrongdoing and said that it processed thousands of invoices daily from its suppliers and invariably followed all legal procedures.
It termed its transactions with Orbicom “an unremarkable and quantitatively insignificant commercial collaboration” that was in full compliance with the laws. Further investigation will prove the size of the fraud and most “painfully,” the size of the penalty to be pais by the corporation.
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