For a few weeks now - we've been reporting on the big bite being taken by specially selected customs brokers working in cahoots with customs officers at the northern border where vehicles are imported. We've shown compelling evidence of the enormous size of the bite - where the brokers' cut is far greater than what government collects. But, the Prime Minister told us all that is in the past - and that we should for some reason be ashamed of our reporting. Tonight, Jules Vasquez tells us it's not so distant.
These are the figures we showed you on Monday - a broker's bite and customs kickback on vehicles imported through the northern border. It's alarming because the bite can be more than twice what the government collects. We have all the factual elements to prove a corrupt system of unchecked personal enrichment, literally customs officers and brokers collecting more than the government on imports. Seems pretty disgraceful, but the PM said that our reporting was the disgrace:
John Briceño, Minister of Finance
"As I mentioned to Cabinet on Tuesday when I saw the reporting from Channel 7. I said that I found it shameful and disgraceful. And of course as the minister responsible of course I have to take responsibility at the end of the day. But that we had already stopped that practice so what he was reporting was something that happened before."
Well, this transaction was just 6 weeks ago - hardly ancient history. This suburban was imported in January, one month ago. And persistent reports tell us that this system of an ease on duties - once the big bite is paid - continues up to this week. But, the PM conceded that as Minister of Finance, he is responsible - in this case for the loss of hundreds of thousands of dollars, likely millions in government revenue - but he seems to want to blame the whistleblowers:
John Briceño, Minister of Finance
"Now people are starting to pay more taxes and I suspect that these very same people who were happy to pay the kickback, now that they can't do that, they're starting to leak the information, I suspect, I don't know."
Notably, he did not question the veracity of the information - but neither did he say that he intends to do anything to address the loss in revenue or tackle past and present acts of corruption.
We'll keep following the story.
