Michael Cranston, the Australian Tax Office’s deputy tax commissioner, is set to be charged in relation to the massive tax fraud syndicate allegedly run by his son Adam.
The ATO official will face the charge of abusing his position as a public official when he appears in court on June 13. The Australian Federal Police will allege Michael looked into restricted information regarding an audit on his son, but it’s not thought he had any knowledge of Adam’s alleged involvement in the scam.
However, AFP officials said Michael could still be unknowingly complicit in the crimes Adam allegedly committed.
The claim against Michael comes after nine people across Sydney were arrested, including Adam’s sister. Adam is set to face charges of conspiracy to defraud the commonwealth at Central Local Court later today.
It’s believed the scheme may have defrauded as much as $165 million, and the list of items confiscated under proceeds of crime provisions is stunning: 18 homes, two planes, several luxury cars, and $1 million in cash are only some of the items being held.
Investigators have already pegged this as one of the most exhaustive white-collar crime investigations undertaken in Australian history, and the allegations against a long-standing ATO chief don’t do anything to shake that label.
