Following the alleged import bribes that Ralph Lauren would have paid to Argentine officials, AFIP tax agency has suspended the firm’s operations in the country.
“It has been resolved to suspend the Tax and Employment Identification Number (CUIT in Spanish) of Ralph Lauren and Polo Ralph Lauren subsidiary in Argentina and their managing board,” AFIP head Ricardo Echegaray announced to the press.
The move also targets Customs officers that worked for the US-based company between 2005 and 2009 when the bribes, reaching almost u$s 600,000 dollars, were allegedly paid in order to clear the entrance of products into Argentina.
Echegaray also requested US embassy in Argentina information in order to “strengthen cooperation” with the judiciary and said he will also demand US Securities and Exchange Commission (SECT) to provide data on the case.
Head of the AFIP made clear that customs officers involved in the scandal “are not public officials but private professionals hired by the company”. According to the tax agency, Ralph Lauren’s managers in Argentina distorted the company’s information and used Customs to justify the illegal maneuver and “empty” of the firm.
Source: Buenos Aires Herald