FRCS orders audit after border breach

The Fiji Revenue and Customs Service (FRCS) has confirmed that a Departure Prohibition Order was active when a Chinese businessman, currently under investigation for an alleged $20 million tax fraud, departed Fiji in April. The FRCS is now seeking a comprehensive audit to determine the circumstances under which the businessman was allowed to leave the country despite the legal restriction.

The individual in question is a former director of Freesoul Real Estate Development and is also being investigated by the Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption for alleged tax fraud. The FRCS initially issued a Departure Prohibition Order on March 26, 2026, against Company A, which was transmitted to the Department of Immigration for integration into the border system. This order was later revised on April 13, 2026, following a legal and compliance review, with the original order revoked and a new one issued against Company B to ensure its enforceability.

According to FRCS records, the revised order was transmitted at 9:57 a.m. on April 14, 2026, and Immigration confirmed its activation in the system by 11:00 a.m. The businessman was personally served with the revised order at approximately 2:00 p.m. the same day and signed an acknowledgment of receipt. Despite these measures, he managed to leave Fiji at 11:55 p.m. on April 14, 2026.

The FRCS maintains that its records indicate an active Departure Prohibition Order was in effect at all relevant times. To ascertain how the departure was permitted, the service has requested a full audit of the Integrated Border Management System. The matter remains under active investigation, with authorities seeking to understand the breakdown in the system that allowed the alleged tax fraud suspect to leave the country.