Name suppression lifts on Imran Kamal, accountant in Gilchrist, Anderson tax dodge

Name suppression has lifted for convicted Wellington accountant Imran Mohammed Kamal, who played a key role in the fictitious invoice writing scheme of former Inland Revenue Department official Brent Gilchrist and former associate Scott Anderson.

Kamal's company, Accountants First, received and paid fake invoices from Gilchrist and Anderson's IT company. The invoices were paid into Kamal's own offshore bank account and he would keep 90 percent of the funds, dividing the rest between the others as a 'fee' for their involvement, the IRD said in a statement.

On his LinkedIn profile Kamal lists having worked as a senior accountant and auditor for Deloittes and was twice nominated, and once a finalist, for the Wellington region's chartered accountant of the year in 2003 and 2007.

Accountant's First describes Kamal as "a lateral thinker and business strategist." His "visionary ideas are geared toward prospects for growth," according to the firm's website.

The IRD'S group tax counsel Graham Tubb said Kamal was a "key player" in the tax evasion case.

"Accountants First Limited also altered tax invoices in an attempt to hide the offending, and used the offshore bank account in a tax evasion scheme, redirecting the funds back into New Zealand through paying for work done on Mr Kamal's house."

The IRD welcomed the Wellington High Court's decision to lift name suppression as of Jan. 10.

"By acting as he did, Kamal has abused the trust placed in him and also used his knowledge and his position to try and cheat the system, but for all that, he still failed and will bear the consequences,"

Tubb said. "The public can be confident that Inland Revenue will take action, including in some cases the removal of the right to act as a tax agent for others."

Kamal was sentenced to three months home detention and 150 hours community work in February last year. The order to lift name suppression was made on Dec. 19.

Last year, Gilchrist got 10 months home detention and Anderson was sentenced to 3 ½ years jail.

(BusinessDesk)