Chief Executive Officer of Customs v Samisoni Volita Havili Kaufusi [2012] NSWSC 200

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Chief Executive Officer of Customs v Samisoni Volita Havili Kaufusi [2012] NSWSC 200 Hearing dates: 22 July 2011 Decision date: 09 March 2012 Before: Rothman J Decision: (1) The defendant is convicted of one (1) count of importing prohibited imports, in contravention of s 233(1)(b) of Customs Act 1901, namely 3,949kg of pure weight kava (2) The defendant is convicted of one (1) count of causing a false statement to be made to an officer, in contravention of s 234(1)(d)(ii), or alternatively s 234(1)(d)(iv), of the Customs Act 1901 (3) The Court imposes in aggregate a pecuniary penalty being: (i) A fine for Count 1 of $897,000; and (ii) A fine for Count 2 of $3,000 (4) The defendant pay the plaintiff's costs of and incidental to the proceedings. Catchwords: CUSTOMS PROSECUTION - smuggling - criminal law - importation of kava - making false statement - guilty plea - sentence imposed Legislation Cited: Crimes Act 1914 (Cth) Customs Act 1901 (Cth) Customs (Prohibited Imports) Regulations 1956 (Cth) Cases Cited: The Queen v Belbruno (2000) 117 A Crim R 150; [2000] VSCA 201 Cameron v R [2002] HCA 6; 209 CLR 339 CEO of Customs v Coulton [2005] NSWSC 869 CEO Customs v Labrador Liquor Wholesale Pty Ltd [2006] QCA 558 Chief Executive Officer of Customs v Labrador Liquor Wholesale Pty Ltd [2003] HCA 49; 216 CLR 161 CEO of Customs v Ozzy Tyre & Tube Pty Ltd & Anor [2005] NSWSC 948 Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Customs Service v Karam [2011] NSWCA 224 Environmental Protection Agency v Ableway Waste Management Pty Ltd [2005] NSWLEC 469 L Vogel & Son Pty Ltd v Anderson (1967) 120 CLR 157 Mill v The Queen [1988] HCA 70; (1988) 166 CLR 59 Milne v A-G (TAS) (1956) 95 CLR 460 Pearce v The Queen [1998] HCA 57; (1998) 194 CLR 610 R v Majeric (2001) A Crim R 451; [2001] VSCA 15 R v McCourt (1993) 69 A Crim R 151 Smith v The Queen (1991) 25 NSWLR 1; 56 Crim R 148 Veen v The Queen [No 2] [1988] HCA 14; (1988) 164 CLR 465 at 477 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Chief Executive Officer of Customs (plaintiff) Samisoni Volita Havili Kaufusi (defendant) Representation: Mr D Jordan (for the plaintiff) Mr M Licha (for the defendant) Australian Government Solicitor (for the plaintiff) Law Society of New South Wales File Number(s): 2009/297890