Manny Pacquiao Illegally Smuggled Goods for The Poor?

Manny Pacquiao Illegally Smuggled Goods for The Poor?

Manny Pacquiao has again become involved in a peculiar lawsuit amid claims that his foundation failed to pay shipping charges on a consignment that was seized by customs authorities in the Philippines.

The Manny Pacquiao Foundation, which the pound-for-pound boxing king uses for his charities, tried to import a shipment of "relief goods" from the United States to the Philippines using an unnamed company in 2009.  Based on TMZ reports, the shipment was impounded because customs officials found the containers to be holding used clothes, which do not qualify as "relief goods" under Filipino law and are subject to excise duties.

Because the load was not delivered to its destination, the foundation refused to pay its bill with the shipper. However, all major logistics companies, such as FedEx and UPS, follows a specific rule in every contract that insists on full payment, whether or not the package is delivered due to customs irregularities.

The foundation is being sued for the full shipping charge of $35,806.36, plus interest, while the containers of “relief goods” are still undistributed.

The high-profile lawsuit is the latest is a series of controversies surrounding Pacquiao, whose reputation in the Philippines has been tainted in recent years. Also, his role as a congressman in his country has brought extra attention that results to negative headlines.

Pacquiao received criticism over his attendance record in congress and was forced to respond to a contempt claim by Filipino tax authorities. He also resorted to legal action following allegations he had housed a fugitive and former politician at his home.

The Manny Pacquiao Foundation and the boxer’s camp could not be reached for comments. However, abrupt changes to the structure of his foundation were implemented this week. Pacquiao's trusted promoter, Bob Arum, and Steve Wynn, Las Vegas hotel and casino magnate, were among new appointees to the board of trustees in a move that should “repair” the damaging publicity brought about by the lawsuit.

Posted by Andre Monohan on Wednesday April 11 2012, 4:25 AM EST. Ref: Yahoo. All trademarks acknowledged. Filed under Featured News. Comments and Trackbacks closed. Follow responses: RSS 2.0