SENIOR executives of a company that imported and distributed videos made by TVB into the United States have been charged with tax fraud.
Helen Kim Noi Soo, 40, general manager of Tai Seng Video Marketing, pleaded not guilty to charges of failing to pay US$14,255 (HK$111,180) in taxes during a court hearing in San Francisco last week.
Tai Seng has the franchise to distribute TVB programmes in nine US states. It is part of a industry worth tens of millions of dollars a year in North America and one infiltrated with triad-run companies.
Appearing with Soo were two senior executives with Hongkong TV Video Programme - her former company that held a franchise to distribute TVB videos throughout the US until it was divided into separate east and west coast franchises in late 1990.
Vice-president, Singaporean, Stephen Kow, 46, was accused of not paying US$212,000 in back taxes and general manager Hong Tho Luu, 43, was said to have not paid US$24,605. Both men pleaded not guilty.
The three allegedly conspired to hide their bonuses, salaries and income from profit-sharing arrangements by making false entries in one set of the company's books, according to a 26-charge indictment alleging tax fraud and conspiracy that was handed down by a grand jury in San Francisco last week.
Unusually for a tax-evasion case, the magistrate, Ms Claudia Wilken, ordered the three to remain in custody until their bail hearing tomorrow.