BANGKOK, Nov 28 (TNA) — The Criminal Court fined Philip Morris (Thailand) Limited 1,225 million baht for lowering the prices of its imported cigarettes to dodge duty during 2003 and 2006.
Prosecutors earlier told the court that the company declared unrealistically low prices of imported Marlboro and L&M cigarettes from July 28, 2003 and June 24, 2006. The Department of Special Investigation later estimated the real prices and their avoided import tax at more than 20 billion baht.
The court stated that the company declared the price for Marlboro cigarettes at 7.76 baht per pack and that for L&M cigarettes at 5.88 baht per pack but the DSI found that the actual prices of cigarettes from the Philippines should have stood at 13-19 baht a pack.
The court acquitted seven employees of the company because they were not responsible for the price declaration made in the United States. (TNA)
