Aust investigation under fire from Vanuatu's finance industry
Posted
Vanuatu's finance industry has again criticised the Government's decision to support a major Australian investigation into tax evasion.
Last week Vanuatu's Court of Appeal rejected an application to stop the Australian Federal Police (AFP) from sending any evidence to Australia that its officers gathered in raids on financial institutions in Port Villa in April.
The raids were part of Australia's investigations into tax evasion, in particular the activities of Robert Agius, who has been arrested in Perth.
But Vanuatu's Finance Centre Association chairman Mark Stafford says the court decision does not mean the AFP will get everything it wants.
"The question as to whether any information is released to anybody lies with the Attorney-General of Vanuatu," he said.
The Finance Industry in Vanuatu has continually raised concerns about Vanuatu's decision to allow Australian taxation investigators into the country.