Tax transparency, three African heads of state and Peruvian cultural artifacts, are the subjects of the November 15, 2010 “Asset Search News Roundup”:

  1. Tax Transparency: Presentation of the Report on progress made against international tax evasion” published by the OECD, stressed the critical role of cross-border cooperation in fighting international tax fraud.  IRS Commissioner Doug Shulman’s June 8, 2010 speech to the OECD similarly emphasized the need for international cooperation.  The speech argued that a company with cross-border activities should be jointly audited by interested tax authorities from across the globe.
  2. Three African Heads of State Sued For Hiding Assets” described the December 2, 2008 misappropriated assets lawsuit filed against President Denis Sassou-Nguesso, President Obiang Nguema and the late President Bongo.  This lawsuit commenced in France by the Sherpa Association and Transparency International, accused the three of concealing assets allegedly derived from corruption schemes in Africa.  As set forth by a November 9th press release, the French Supreme Court just ruled that Transparency International was a proper party in the lawsuit.
  3. Government Settles With Art Collector, Allowing Two Rare Ceramic Antiquities To Be Repatriated To Government Of Peru” is about Peru’s anticipated recovery of antiquities seized at NY’s John F. Kennedy International Airport in August 2009.  These Peruvian antiquities were interdicted upon their arrival from Switzerland and their provenance had reportedly been falsified through phony invoices.U.S. government press releases dated December 11, 2009, February 11, 2009 and June 2, 2010 reveal that a number of different Peruvian cultural artifacts have already been repatriated to Peru.  At an April 7, 2010 ceremony, U.S. officials had also returned to Peru the smuggled pre-Columbian human skull pictured below and eleven additional ones.  The 1,400-year-old skulls were discovered in January 2004 by two Cleveland, Ohio warehouse workers who had accidentally dropped a crate which supposedly contained just ceramic masks.

    Photo: Courtesy Of ICE

Copyright 2010 Fred L. Abrams