オランダＫＰＭＧのトップ、脱税容疑で辞任（ロイターより）

Head of Dutch KPMG quits after investigations

オランダＫＰＭＧが、脱税容疑で捜査を受け、トップが辞任したという記事。「過去の誤った判断とエラー」から、ＫＰＭＧを切り離すためだそうです。オランダの当局が、先月、ＫＰＭＧとディベロッパーによるジョイント・ベンチャーに対して、刑事事件の捜査を開始したことを明らかにしていました。

The head of KPMG in the Netherlands resigned on Monday, the accounting firm said, less than a month after authorities launched a criminal investigation into alleged tax fraud at a venture it set up to build a new Dutch headquarters.

Jurgen van Breukelen, who was in the position for less than two years, said he was stepping down to enable the company to break from "the recent past of misjudgments and errors".

Last month, Dutch authorities said they had launched a criminal investigation into the joint venture between KPMG and a project developer, including the role of two unidentified executives.

当局によれば、新しいオランダ本部を建設するために組成されたジョイント・ベンチャーが、原価の水増しに使われていたようです。ＫＰＭＧの事業所や個人の住宅が捜索されています。

Dutch prosecutors said last month they suspected the joint venture set up to develop of the new Dutch HQ was used to boost costs in tax filings to Dutch authorities with the aim of reducing taxable income.

"The project developer is also suspected of fake billing. This may have led to millions of euros in avoided taxes," the prosecutors said in a statement.

As part of the investigation, the prosecutors searched several KPMG sites and two private homes.

脱税額は数百万ユーロとのことですが、天下のビッグ4とも思えない情けない事件です。