A ROSLEA man is among four charged with fraud and conspiring to cheat the public revenue in relation to unpaid duty and tax on thousands of kilos of tobacco and millions of cigarettes.
Anthony McPhillips (63) of Ashvale Avenue, Mullaghconnelly appeared at Enniskillen Magistrates Court this morning (Wednesday), charged with fraudulently evading duty and value added tax (VAT) in relation 1,848 kilos of tobacco, between December 12, 2017 and December 19, 2017.
Two other men – Peter Hughes (65) of Legmoylin Road, Silverbridge, Newry, and Stephen McKenna (55) of Rinnalea Gardens, Belfast – are also charged with evading VAT in relation to the tobacco on the same dates.
McPhillips is also charged with conspiring to cheat the public revenue by defrauding HM Revenue & Customs on the importation of tobacco products, between January 1, 2014 and December 19, 2017.
McKenna and another man, Peter Martin of Ballynaclosha Road, Silverbridge, Newry, also face the same charge.
McKenna and Martin are also charged with evading duty and VAT on 2 million cigarettes, betwenn June 16, 2017 and August 9, 2017.
The charges were read to all four men during a preliminary enquiry (PE) hearing this morning, during which a representative from the Public Prosecution Service (PPS) said, based on the papers before the court, the men had a case to answer.
The men were remanded on their own bail of £1,000 to appear before Dungannon Crown Court on January 31.
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