Five persons, coordinators or administrators of some Ride Sharing companies, sent to court for tax evasion. Damage of over 67 million lei, prosecutors say

Five persons, coordinators or administrators of some Ride Sharing companies, were sent to DNA for a continuous fiscal evasion, a continuous bribe and money laundering in a file with over 67 million lei. Since 2022, they would not have registered in the accounting of 14 companies taxable income and would have recruited over one thousand drivers who worked without a work contract, being paid in black.

Thus, all the amounts collected from the customers, from which the platform stopped a 25%commission, would have been divided between the defendants and drivers, without the state budget collected (VAT, income tax, salary contributions). From the money obtained, one of the defendants would have bought buildings, would have opened a restaurant and a car service. Two other people have concluded agreements to recognize guilt in this file.

The prosecutors of the National Anticorruption Directorate – the Section for Combating Crimes Assimilated to Corruption Offenses have ordered to be sent, in a state of freedom, five defendants, GNM, CAV, TAC and CCN and CA, coordinators or administrators of some commercial companies with alternative transport activity, for a continuous form, as (GNM and TAC) and money laundering (GNM and CAV), announces on Thursday, DNA, in a press release.

Previously, in this file was ordered to refer the court with the agreements to recognize the guilt of the defendants: TGM, an employee of the holding company of a ride-sharing platform, for taking bribes in a continuous form and CIN, an employee of the holding company of a ride-sharing platform, to favor the perpetrator.

“In the general period May 2022 – January 2025, the defendants would have coordinated the activity of some alternative trading companies of persons, through which they would have produced to the state budget a total damage of 67,493,417 lei, as a result of the evading from the payment of the fiscal obligations. to the tax authorities, on the one hand, and on the other hand, by hiding the taxable source as an effect of not finding individual employment contracts and thus, of the black payment of salaries to their own employees ”, says DNA.

According to the prosecutors, during the mentioned period, several alternative transport companies were set up who, under the control and coordination of the five defendants, would have come to collaborate with over 1,000 drivers.

“The drivers were attracted by the collaboration with the companies coordinated by the defendants, because they were offered the possibility to work without a employment contract, the income obtained being significantly higher. After the drivers were recruited, they were requested to conclude, with the companies controlled by the defendants, of some contracts by which they were transmitted to the company; Romanian road (ARR), as well as registration on ride-sharing platforms ”, details investigators.

According to the DNA, after the beginning of the activity, from the amounts they received from the companies holding the ride-sharing platforms, the defendants, who coordinated the transport companies, stopped a commission between 8 and 12%, and the rest of the amounts were transferred to the drivers. In this way, considering that there were no salary contributions, the drivers received a higher allowance than legally. After the amounts due to the drivers were paid, the defendants GNM and Tac would have withdrawn the remaining amounts from the ATM, acquiring these amounts of money. The activity was carried out in this way until the company came to the attention of the fiscal bodies, after which the activity was moved to another company.

“Basically, from the alternative transport activity, all the amounts collected from the clients (of which the platform stopped their contractual commission agreed by 25%) were divided between the defendants and drivers, without the state budget collected (VAT, income tax, salary contributions). Of lei, from which he would have bought buildings, would have opened a restaurant and a car service ”, says DNA.

According to the prosecutors, regarding other amounts of money from the commission of the tax evasion offense, between March 2023 – October 2024, in order to hide or conceal the illicit origin of the money, the defendants of GNM and CAV would have performed several operations that involved the lending of commercial companies, as well as the acquisitions and sales. commercial.

In order to be helped in various issues arising in the relationship with the platform, the defendants needed to have close ties with an employee of the platform. The aid consisted in prioritizing the requests regarding the registration of the drivers in the computer application or unlocking the accounts of the drivers registered in the application. Thus, for these “services”, the defendants GNM and Tac would have sent to the defendant TGM, an employee of the platform, in several installments, the total amount of 112,000 lei, respectively 7,500 lei, adds the quoted source.

Also, during July 2024, the defendant GNM would have been announced by telephone by the defendant Cin, employed by the same platform, that the National Anticorruption Directorate requested data on it, and as a result he would have transmitted a large part of his drivers to his companies to the companies coordinated by the defendant TAC

During the criminal prosecution, in order to cover the damage produced, insurance measures regarding goods and amounts belonging to the defendants were established.

“We specify that the defendants of the TGM and CIN (who have concluded agreements to recognize the guilt) assumed the facts committed and had a sincere attitude during the investigations, the details offered to the anti-corruption prosecutors leading to the concrete establishment of the entire state of fact,” says DNA.

The two expressly declared that they recognize the facts of detained the acts, accept the legal classifications for which the criminal actions have been set in motion and agree with the type and amount of the punishments applied, as well as with their execution.

Thus, for the TGM the Bucharest Court established a sentence of 2 years imprisonment, with the postponement of the execution of the sentence, and for the Bucharest Court established a punishment consisting of a criminal fine of 25,500 lei.

The criminal prosecution file was sent for trial to the Bucharest Court, with the proposal to maintain the insurance measures in question. (News.ro)