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• BAT Korea Under Probe Over Alleged Tax Evasion 

Prosecutors are investigating British American Tobacco Korea (BAT Korea), the largest foreign tobacco company in the country, for alleged tax evasion and illegal lobbying of tax officials to cover up the illegalities.

BAT Korea had evaded taxes by omitting its profits worth more than 100 billion won ($100 million) between 2001 and 2005 in its report to the National Tax Service (NTS), according to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office.

``We've started this investigation on suspicion that the company had lobbied tax officials for one year from December 2005 when the Seoul Regional Tax Office's investigation into the company was underway,'' said a prosecutor in charge of the case. The prosecution is also looking into whether there was any more tax evasion than previously known.

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