A 29-year-old businessman who defrauded the Commonwealth and faked a work visa for a migrant has been sentenced to at least one year and 10 months in prison. Abel Kalpi Nand Prasad pleaded guilty to four Commonwealth fraud charges in the District Court.
The court heard that between 2010 and 2011, Prasad fraudulently claimed $75,934 in GST refunds and attempted to claim an additional $41,823 in tax refunds. He also faked a work visa for an Indian citizen who was living in Australia on a student visa.
Judge Julie McIntyre stated that Prasad identified himself as an immigration agent and demanded $25,000 from the victim. When the Immigration Department refused to grant the visa, Prasad forged the document and told the man his visa had been approved. “Your purpose in providing those documents to [the man] was to retain the money he paid you,” the judge said.
The court heard that Prasad had a narcissistic personality disorder and began making fraudulent GST claims within a week of being placed on a good behaviour bond for a previous deception offence. That earlier offence involved taking out a fake credit card in his father's name while working at ANZ bank.
Judge McIntyre described the fraud as “deliberate and sustained” and noted that GST fraud is not a victimless crime. “It is a crime against the Australian community because it reduces the funds available for essential services and it increases the tax burden on honest tax-payers,” she said.
Prasad was sentenced to four years and five months in jail with a non-parole period of one year and 10 months.
