Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Ressa cleared of tax evasion in Philippines

A Philippine tax court on Wednesday cleared Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Ressa and her online news company of tax evasion charges she said were part of a slew of legal cases used by former President Rodrigo Duterte to muzzle critical reporting (Basilio Sepe/AP)

Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Ressa and her online news company have been cleared of tax evasion charges she said were part of a slew of legal cases used by former president Rodrigo Duterte to muzzle critical reporting.

The Court of Tax Appeals in the Philippines ruled that prosecutors failed to prove “beyond reasonable doubt” that Ms Ressa and Rappler Holdings Corp evaded tax payments in four instances after raising capital through partnerships with two foreign investors.