Brussels, 15/06/2004 (Agence Europe) - The European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) has sent to France the result of its investigation into televisions from Thailand imported by the French electronics group, Thomson. According to the French daily Le Figaro, dated 14 June, Thomson is suspected of not having paid off certain customs duties on imported televisions by presenting false customs statements.
OLAF confirms that it had opened an external inquiry in January 2002 concerning the suspicion that a false declaration of origin had been made for colour television sets imported from Thailand in order to evade payment of anti-dumping customs duties on imports to the Community, OLAF states in a press release published on Monday. A Community monitoring mission took place in Thailand and the results were forwarded to Member States for follow-up, OLAF continues, refusing to specify the amount of the fraud. When an OLAF inquiry concludes that customs duties should have been paid, it forwards information to the customs authorities of the States concerned, which will then have to take "appropriate measures" with importers in their country, OLAF explains.