Huang Xiangmo claims to be victim of ‘deep state forces’
Billionaire Huang Xiangmo, now exiled in Hong Kong, is fighting Australian Taxation Office claims that he owes $140 million and says he is a victim of “deep state” political persecution.
NSW
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Exiled Chinese billionaire Huang Xiangmo has made a bizarre rant against Australian authorities, claiming to be the victim of “deep state” actions by “unknown dark forces” and claiming the tax office was a “despicable tool of political persecution”.
The property developer is fighting a $140 million tax bill but says the current court action against him was a “disguised enforcement as a political tool”.
Now living in Hong Kong, Mr Huang has also refused to front up via video-link to the ICAC’s ongoing investigation into claims he illegally donated $100,000 cash in an Aldi bag to the NSW ALP.
His colourful statement takes shots at the media, Australian politicians and the Immigration Department as well as intelligence agencies, who stripped him of his visa late last year citing his "amenability" to conducting acts of foreign interference.
Saying he has always paid his taxes, he accused the various authorities and media of a “synergised collaboration” to attack him.
“Such concerted effort, with its magnitude across and beyond, would be unexplainable without the involvement of a "deep state",” Mr Huang said.
“The ATO is believed to be a professional government agency with some integrity but it really pains and saddens me that it has now surrendered itself to the pressure of some unknown dark forces, almost allowing itself to become a tool for political persecution against me.
“By taking advantage of its tax collection power for the purpose of political character assassination and persecution, the ATO has turned into a ‘political weapon’.”
He claimed media outlets had already been granted access to detailed information about him “before I received any legal documents or knowledge of ATO’s sudden attack”.
“They attempted to associate the matter to the completely irrelevant ICAC hearing and the alleged ‘China Influence Infiltration’,” he said.
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“This has signalled complicated political calculation and motivation lurking in the background.”
Mr Huang also said the ATO had not brought up the issue of the owed tax before his visa was revoked. His rant repeatedly refers to “dark forces” which he claims may pressure ATO personnel and says he hopes the ICAC will investigate the tax office.
Last night the Australian Taxation Office refuted his wild claims, stating that while for privacy reasons it cannot comment on his specific case, it “administers tax laws fairly” and “independently” without bias.
“The ATO operates as an independent statutory agency and taxation secrecy laws prevent the ATO disclosing taxation mattes to ministers and parliamentarians except in very limited specified circumstances,” a spokesman said.
“We are responsible for ensuring everyone meets their obligations under these laws, so those who pay or claim the correct amounts are not disadvantaged by those who do not.
“When we collect revenue or make payments, we operate in a fair, professional and responsible way.”
Mr Huang also claimed “my name has been cleared” at the ICAC corruption hearing, but the watchdog agency has not made findings yet.
The Federal Court has issued orders freezing his assets, including a $13 million Mosman mansion in his wife Huang Jiefang’s name.