Supermarkets Carrefour-Marinopoulos Under Investigation For Dodging VAT

 Following an extensive investigation the Greek financial crimes squad SDOE is now preparing to charge the Greece-based Carrefour-Marinopoulos group of dodging VAT payments in Greece via a fake invoice scam with businesses based in another EU country. In an announcement the supermarket group denied the charges noting that all its dealings with its 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. The supermarket termed the transactions with Orbicom as  "an unremarkable and quantitatively insignificant commercial collaboration" that was in full compliance with the laws.

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 euro on the company for tax evasion.