Pardafas Reporter
A still of Mike Bolsover taken from an interview in International News Channel.
Mike Bolsover, the officiating chief executive officer of Silver Heritage Limited Management Pvt Ltd, was forced to return from the Tribhuvan International Airport yesterday after the government barred him from leaving the country following accusations of tax evasion.
Bolosver, a British national, who has for some time created headlines in various embezzlements and tax evasion cases in Nepali media, was planning to leave for South America. He was stopped from leaving the country upon direct intervention from the Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Prem Bahadur Ale.
“We denied Bolsover from boarding the plane after we received a request letter from the Ministry. But, we did not make an arrest,” said Narayan Prasad Bhattarai, Director General of Department of Immigration.
He has been facing various cases at various districts in Nepal ranging from tax evasion, to denying salaries to staff and contempt of court.
It is said Bolsover has not paid Rs 130 million he owes to the government for operating the casino. He was held in suspicion that he was trying to escape from Nepal without paying tax.
He has not paid the revenue of two casinos he had been operating earlier. Bolsover has been running a casino each at Shangri-La Hotel at Lazimpat in Kathmandu and at Tiger Palace in Bhairahawa with investment from OCP Asia. He owes Rs 65 million to the government from each casino. He was required to pay the tax within January 14 but had not done so and was trying to escape from the country.
The eight casino companies in operation have deposited at least Rs 400 million in the government accounts following Minister Ale's directives. However, SHL Management Pvt Ltd had not deposited Rs 130 million it owed as revenue to the government.
SHL Management Pvt Ltd is alleged of illegally operating a five-star hotel on nearly 7,800 square meter government land at Bhairahawa, Tilottama Municipality-6.
The Supreme Court had earlier ordered the company not to carry out any transactions.
