Interjet founders in talks to avoid potential tax fraud charges

The founders of troubled Mexican airline Interjet are negotiating a settlement with tax authorities in an effort to avoid potential criminal fraud charges that could be filed as soon as next month, said an official familiar with the matter. Miguel Aleman Magnani, Interjet’s CEO, and his father, Chairman Miguel Aleman Velasco, could face fraud charges, as could the company itself, said the tax official, who asked not to be named because tax cases are protected by privacy laws. Negotiations may still lead to a settlement, the person said. The potential charges against the company and its top executives, which could be filed by the end of the year or early next year without a deal, stem from whether the company collected taxes from customers and employees but failed to forward the money to the government, said the official. Interjet’s alleged tax debts have complicated an effort to draw in $150m pledged by a group of outside investors as a lifeline to the carrier, which is struggling with the coronavirus pandemic and financial woes that predate Covid-19. <br/>