Displaying items by tag: Fraud

India: Police in Mumbai, Maharashtra, have opened a case against a Gujarat-based cement producer on charges of cheating, forgery and criminal conspiracy. The Times of India newspaper has reported that the accused company borrowed US$27m in 2017 and early 2018, purportedly for the purchase of four clinker carrier ships and the construction of jetties at two sites in Gujarat. However, the producer had mortgaged all four ships, pledging over 20% of its shares. From the funds, it reportedly paid itself for the construction of the jetties, and used US$17.35 to repay outstanding bank loans.

Iraq: The Central Anti-Corruption Criminal Court has sentenced former Iraqi Cement executive director Baha Abed and general manager Ali Hadi to six years in prison. According to the National Iraqi News Agency, Abed appointed Hadi as general manager in exchange for Hadi referring the company’s equipment contracts to Abed’s own companies.

India: A 20 year old man has been arrested in Nalanda, Bihar for allegedly creating a fake UltraTech Cement website. The individual reportedly took payment for cement and then ceased contact, leaving genuine UltraTech Cement representatives in the state with angry enquiries. UltraTech then reported the site to police.

Police have stated that the arrested man, Rohit Kumar Balram Prasad, has been charged under sections 482 (using false property mark), 483 (counterfeiting a property mark used by another), 419 (cheating by personation) among others of the IPC and the Information Technology Act. They added that further arrests are expected.

Australia: Adelaide Brighton’s credit manager from 2009 to 2017 appeared in Adelaide Magistrates Court accused of defrauding the company of US$8.52m over 230 different occasions. ABC news has reported that the defendant stands charged of aggravated deception and dishonestly dealing with documents.

Bangladesh: The Chattogram Customs Authority has seized 30 containers of cement imported under false declaration by Pran Dairy at Chattogram Port. Sources quoted by the Daily Sun newspaper said that the company has attempted to avoid paying the correct import tariffs by falsely declaring the consignment as high-density polyethylene (HDPE) for the UAE. However, when custom officials examined the shipment they found Saudi Arabian-branded cement instead.

A total of 10,200 sacks of 50kg bags of cement were found. The duty payable on HDPE is 32% compared to 91% for cement. The importer was attempting to avoid paying import tariffs of over US$350,000.

India: Customers of Ambuja Cement have been deceived by a fake website pretending to take orders for the company. Victims of the fraud have notified the police in Mumbai, according to the Times of India newspaper. The fraudulent website obtained orders, raised invoices and promised delivery following the receipt of advance payment. When the customers failed to receive the goods they approached Ambuja Cement and the deception was revealed. So far around US$2500 has been reported lost.

Taiwan: Taiwan Cement has reassured the public about the quality and safety standards of its cement and other products. It follows fraud charges being issued to a former government official for supplying raw materials mixed with industrial waste to the cement producer, according to the Taipei Times. Taiwan Cement says it is conducting inspections on all raw materials, including taking random samples of the top and bottom layers of delivery trucks from suppliers.

Lai Chin-kun, a former Hualien County Council speaker, secured local government contracts for his family’s companies to dispose of industrial waste, including industrial byproducts and inorganic debris from electroplating, optoelectronics and display panel manufacturers and pulp paper processing companies. Another family company won a contract with Taiwan Cement in 2010 to supply limestone, clay, sand and other raw materials required for cement production.

Prosecutors allege that when supplying raw materials to Taiwan Cement, Lai instructed company drivers to fill the bottom half of the trucks with industrial waste and place natural materials, such as clay, sand and limestone, on the top half to fool inspectors. Lai reportedly made US$14.1m from the scheme from 2010 to 2015.

Nigeria: Two employees of Dangote Cement accused of stealing cement have changed their pleas to guilty at the Ogun State High Court. The defendants allegedly diverted nine cement trucks, bound for Togo, using fake identity cards and truck number plates, according to the Business Day newspaper. The suspects are accused of stealing 800 bags of cement with a value of over US$40,000. The case continues.

Australia: Adelaide Brighton is seeking damages from a former credit manager over US$9m in missing funds. The cement producer has accused former employee Glenda Ivy Burgess of the embezzlement following an internal audit, according to the Advertiser newspaper. Burgess worked for Adelaide Brighton for 18 years but was dismissed in February 2018.

The allegations include misallocating customer payments, falsifying accounts, increasing customer credit limits without authority and providing false information.

The construction company launched a civil lawsuit against Burgess at the same time that a police investigation was ongoing. This has subsequently led to a clash between civil and criminal proceedings as the accused successfully petitioned the Supreme Court to delay the civil case whilst the criminal investigation continues.

India: Police have raided a factory near Cuttack, Odisha that has allegedly been selling repackaged cement. The unit purchased the franchise of a well-known cement brand and then used cement from damaged bags of the consignment to prepare unapproved mixtures, according to Odisha TV. The cement was then repackaged and supplied along with the original cement packets.

Up to 7500 fake cement bags, 300 bags of different cement brands and machinery was seized during the raid. The owner of the factory, Lalit Kumar Jain, was also arrested. He has disputed the allegations.