XN000022-1996-03-12 — Page 18

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Souvenir cover to mark Indonesia stamp exhibition

To commemorate Hong Kong Post Office's participation in the Indonesia '96 Stamp Exhibition, a souvenir cover will be issued on March 21 and placed on sale at all post offices at $2 each as from Thursday (March 14), the Postmaster General, Mr Robert Footman, announced today (Tuesday).

Indonesia '96, to be held in Bandung from March 21 to 30, is sponsored by the Public Corporation for Posts and Giro of Indonesia. It is under the patronage of the Federation Internationale de Philatelie and the auspices of the Federation of Inter- Asian Philately.

Hand-back service will be provided at all post offices on March 21 to official and privately-made covers bearing an indication of the event. A special postmark and a cachet for general cancellation purposes will also be introduced on the same day.

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Appeal against tax evasion conviction dismissed

The Court of Appeal today (Tuesday) dismissed an appeal by a 57-year-old businessman against conviction of tax evasion charges.

The Appellant Yip Kam-sing, the director and shareholder of York Industries Limited, was convicted of 12 counts of tax evasion on July 17 1995. It was the largest criminal tax evasion case brought to Hong Kong Courts. He was sentenced to imprisonment for 15 months and fined a total of $3,725,701, being 100 per cent of the tax evaded and was ordered to pay cost of $100,000 to prosecution.

Representing the Crown was Senior Assistant Crown Prosecutor Mr Michael Blanchflower, and appearing for the Appellant was Mr Gary J Plowman QC.

The Court of Appeal with Justices Power, Mortimer and Mayo, after hearing the submission made by the counsel for the Appellant, immediately dismissed the appeal.

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The Inland Revenue Department reminded the public that the tax evasion is a criminal offence. Upon conviction, the maximum sentence is three years imprisonment and fine of $50,000 on each charge, in addition to a further fine equivalent to three times the amount of tax undercharged.

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