India, US join to fight tax evaders

India and  US  joined hands to crack down tax evaders and bring to book those who have stashed black money in tax havens abroad. Two nations, a team of investigators drawn form investigation units in the Union Finance Ministry and the recently set up Income Tax's Directorate of Criminal Investigation(DCI) will visit to Savannh, Georgia this month to chart out plans for effective co-operation in unearthing black money.

Offiicial media correspondent quoting sources reports, the Indian team will meet officials at Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) in Georgia. At FLETC, officers will be involved in the Criminal Investigator Training Programme to be provided by special agents of the US' Internal Revenue Service.

This will be followed by the DCI teams one-on-one with officials of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the International Law Enforcement Academies, ILEA and some other federal intelligence agencies for exchange of information and future co-operation.

Exchange of information could lead to bringing to book Indians, who have stashed unaccounted money in tax havens abroad and made huge investments in the US and some European countries.

They will also learn street survival tactics that will come in handy to hone skills of officers back home while developing airborne and marine units as part of DCI's efforts to tackle white-collar mafia.

ILEAs are police academies under the US Department of State that have tie-ups with member countries.Media agencies

Pakistan's tainted trio in spot-fixing sent to Jail

 

Butt, 27, was sentenced to two and a half years, Asif, 28, was handed a one-year term, while the 19-year-old Amir was sentenced to six months in the young offenders' detention center instead of jail.

Former Pakistan captain Salman Butt and two of his teammates -pacers Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir were on Thursday sentenced to jail for their role in the spot-fixing scandal, making them the first cricketers ever to be imprisoned for corruption.

Players' agent Mazhar Majeed got the strongest punishment as he was sentenced to two years and eight months in prison by Judge Jeremy Cooke after a trial that ran for close to three weeks at the Southwark Crown Court here.

The convicted four can appeal against their sentences which came into force with immediate effect. Butt has made it clear that he will appeal against the 30-month jail term.

"On behalf of Salman Butt I simply want to confirm that he will be appealing the sentence and launching grounds of appeal against it in the next 24 hours," his lawyer Paul Harris said.

Amir's barrister Henry Blaxland QC said he intended to apply for bail later pending an appeal against his sentence.

"'It's not cricket' was an adage. It is the insidious effect of your actions on professional cricket and the followers of it which make the offenses so serious," said Justice Cooke in his sentencing remarks.

"The image and integrity of what was once a game, but is now a business is damaged in the eyes of all, including the many youngsters who regarded three of you as heroes and would have given their eye teeth to play at the levels and with the skill that you had", he said