Rs.30mn fraud in Enrique concert

24 December 2015 03:21 am

The Treasury Department of the Colombo Municipal Council has filed a case yesterday against the organiser of the live concert by Latin music idol Enrique Iglesias held last Sunday at the CR&FC Grounds -- for failing to pay nearly Rs. 30 million in taxes.

Entertainment tax amounting to Rs. 29,125,845 has allegedly been unpaid by the organiser of the event.

Rs. 88,200,000 had been paid to Iglesias as his fee.

The organiser had paid Rs.6.4 million to the CMC as tax on the income from the sale of tickets.

All the tickets had to be approved and sealed by the CMC. But only a few tickets had been given to the CMC for approval and sealing.

On investigation, it had been found out that the organisers had sold tickets that had not been taken from the sealed packets -- and that the real income from the concert was higher than the amount given in the accounts submitted to the CMC.

Tickets had been priced at Rs. 5000, 10,000, 25,000 and 35,000. Ten thousand tickets had been sold. (Jayantha Samarakoon)