Internal Revenue apprehends FCA’s locomotives

The Federal Internal Revenue Department announced Last Friday 16, the apprehension of 19 locomotives at Vitória Harbour. All the machines were imported by Trop Company of Foreign Commerce for the Center Atlantic Railroad (operator controlled by CVRD) between in April and May of this year. The exporter company, responsible for the embarcation of the machines at Houston, in USA, was Corema International Inc, with head office in the British Virgins Islands – considered a fiscal paradise.

The names of the three companies do not appear on the note of the Internal Revenue but do appear on the B.L. (Bill of Lading) issued by the north American shipping company Trinitas in April 13, 2005, under the number IDMC503384001 and that accompanied 12 of the 19 machines to Vitória. The other seven apprehended locomotives arrived last May, transported by the Dutch shipping comopany Bossclip B. Z., with the same companies involved in the operation.

According to the note published at the site of the Internal Revenue, the 19 locomotives, in the value of R$ 23 million, were apprehended because the importation involved a fictitious exporter located at the British Virgin Islands, a fiscal paradise. Although the note does not inform, the exporter who appears on the B.L. is Corema International Inc., with head office at The Lake Building, suite 121, Wickhams Cay 1, P. O. Box 37175, Road Town, Tortola, British Virgin Islands.

The 19 locomotives belonged to a larger lot of 30 machines SD-40-2, imported by  FCA through Corema since december of 2004, out of which the first 11 were cleared. SD-40s are manufactured by EMD (former GM) for whom Corema is the representative in Brazil.

In its note, the Internal Service affirms that the negotiations were led, in fact, by the company from São Paulo and an american supplier, different from what was informed in to Import Declaration, document where the details of the operation appear. In fact, the company from São Paulo is Corema and the american supplier, the National Railway Equipment Company – NREC – main negotiator of used American locomotives in the Brazilian market.

According to the note of the Internal Revenue, the goal was that the operation benefit for fiscal incentive offered by the Government of the Espirito Santo State, with VAT reduction on the operation (a system called Fundap)  besides facilitating the illegal remitance of currencies abroad. In the B.L, the company that appears as importer and that has the fiscal benefit is  Trop Co. Foreign Commerce. Fundap was created by the government of Espirito Santo to stimulate the activity of the port of Vitória, among others goals
The note concludes telling that the involved are going to answer a lawsuit for ideological falsehood and money laundry.
Searched for the Railroad Magazine, the Internal Revenue did not supply more details about the operation, under the allegation that the fiscal secret should be kept. The FCA press office also did`t coment, arguing that the company does not answer to questions asked without the declaration of the source. Corema also did not want to comment the subject

Fonte: Folha de São Paulo