Irishmen on UK tax dodgers list ‘on run here’

Two Irishmen have been named as some of the British government’s most wanted tax dodgers and are now believed to be on the run here.

According to Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs service, Michael ‘Arthur’ Fearon has been charged with evading excise duty on almost 8.4m Benson and Hedges cigarettes. That evasion has, it said, an estimated cost to the taxpayer of £2m (€2.32m).

Revenue said that Fearon is also wanted by the UK Border Agency in connection with money laundering offences and by gardaí here for driving offences.

He was involved in a car chase and crossed over the border into the north driving a Black Mercedes C200 CDI Sport.

A warrant was issued for him in Newry and Revenue said they believe he is now in the Republic.

The second Irishman named on the list is Galway man, Rory Martin McGann.

He is wanted for Vat offences amounting to over £902,000 (€1.047m) and a warrant was issued in Belfast Crown Court.

According to Revenue, McGann was arrested in Ireland and appeared in court in Nov 2008. He was granted bail and was due to reappear in court in Dec 2009 but never returned.

Revenue said it had received useful intelligence about McGann and believes he is somewhere in the Republic.

While McGann has been on Revenue’s list previously, Fearon’s is one of 10 new additions this year.

The customs service publishes images and details of its most wanted in the hope that members of the public will be able to help locate them.

Last year’s appeal led to intelligence on 15 of the alleged offenders, and one was arrested.

“The new tax fugitives on the most wanted list are being pursued for a range of crimes including Vat fraud, tax evasion and money laundering,” it said.

“Their crimes have cost the taxpayer between £100,000 and £10m [€11.6m].”

George Osborne, the British chancellor, said: “The Government has stepped up Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs service’s enforcement activities to enable them to pursue tax cheats relentlessly around the world.

“This new list will help put more tax fraudsters in the spotlight and bring them to justice.”