Penalties for tax evasion through phantom companies will be toughened up. The Government approved a series of amendments to the Penal Code and other pieces of legislation in this respect, Info-Prim Neo reports. According to the Audit Office report on the fulfillment of the 2008 budget, 25 phantom companies caused damage to the budget assessed at 889 million lei. Under the amendments, the penalty for tax evasion will be 40,000 to 100,000 lei or up to three years in jail. The person will be also deprived of the right to carry out a certain activity for a period of up to five years. If the tax evasion is committed by an organized criminal group or organization, the fine will be 60,000 to 120,000 lei. The culprits will be also liable to up to six years in prison. Another amendment approved by the Government provides for transferring the duty to investigate computer crimes from the Center for Combating Economic Crime and Corruption to the Ministry of the Interior, which has increased capacity for preventing and combating such offenses and hastening the investigation of such cases as falsification of electronic money, it is said in the informative note to the bill.