TaxEvasion
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Argentine cops put police drones to work finding undeclared mansions
A lot of people fear that drones might invade their privacy (and for good reason), but put to good use, UAVs can help monitor crops, film spectacular aerial views and, in this case, capture tax-evading millionaires. Law enforcement agencies in South America have been using drones widely to aid in their investigations, such as finding drug smuggling routes. So, when they suspected that some properties registered as empty lots in a wealthy Buenos Aires area aren't exactly "empty," they dispatched some of their $10,000 drones equipped with cameras to take pictures of the properties. As you might have guessed, instead of coming up with pictures of dirt and overgrown bushes, the UAVs took home snapshots of huge mansions replete with swimming pools. The homeowners are now facing some serious fines, and the government expects to earn roughly $2 million in taxes from the hidden mansions.
Turkey's prime minister accuses Twitter of tax evasion
Turkish prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan isn't happy that free speech rights thwarted his desires to block Twitter and silence corruption allegations, so he's switching to plan B: accuse Twitter of shady dealings. He's now promising to "go after" the social network for tax evasion, and has implied that other internet-based peers like Facebook and YouTube might be breaking local laws. We've reached out to Twitter for its response, but we wouldn't expect the company to take Erdogan's charge lightly.
Lee Kun-hee returns as chief of Samsung Electronics
It sure pays to be a white collar criminal in Korea. Especially when you're the son of the founder of Samsung. Lee Kun-hee, the disgraced former chairman of the Samsung Group, is returning to the chaebol as the head of Samsung Electronics -- Samsung's largest division and of primary interest to us gadget nerds. Remember, this is the man convicted of tax evasion only to be pardoned (twice!) by South Korean presidents with all jail time deferred. His latest pardon was issued so that he could help South Korea win a bid to host the 2018 Winter Olympics. In an effort to stave off criticism from a local population that is at once proud of Samsung's global success but concerned with its immense power over all things Korean, Mr. Lee played the fear card in announcing the reason for his return: "[The] best companies in the world are collapsing. We don't know what is going to happen to Samsung too. In the coming 10 years, businesses and products that represent Samsung today will mostly disappear." Never mind that analysts are predicting the most profitable year ever for Samsung Electronics. So what'll it be South Korea: BubiBubi or pitchforks?
Ex-Samsung boss fined $109 million for tax evasion, collar too white for jail
Bringing an end to the Samsung slush fund probe, a South Korean court has fined Lee Kun-hee, Samsung's former Chairman and son of the chaebol's founder, $109 million for tax evasion. A rather favorable decision when you consider that prosecutors sought a seven-year jail sentence and a fine of $347 million. The court said that his crimes did not justify a prison term. Lee, appearing relieved by the decision, apologized again saying, "I'm sorry for causing trouble to the people," presumably while adjusting his monocle and top-hat from atop his golden chariot.
