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FM
Former Member

GRA in standoff during efforts to seize vehicles for duty free concession probe

One of the vehicles at the Continental Park residence of the GRA officer.

One of the vehicles at the Continental Park residence of the GRA officer.

 

 
Demerara Waves

demwaves@gmail.com
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Up to late Friday night, there was a standoff at Continental Park, East Bank Demerara between enforcers of the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) and one of their colleagues who allegedly refused them access to seize two vehicles that are at the centre of a duty-free concession dispute.
The GRA alleges that although the Lexus vehicles were imported by a couple ,who benefitted from the tax and duty waivers under the re-migrant scheme being managed by the Foreign Ministry, they were not in possession of the beneficiaries in whose names they were registered and the mandatory six-month reporting period was not adhered to.
Instead, the GRA said that the vehicles were in possession of Publisher of Kaieteur News’ publisher, Glenn Lall and his wife.
GRA Commissioner General, Kurshid Sattaur told Demerara Waves Online News that the tax agency had a legitimate right to seize the vehicles because the intended beneficiaries were allegedly not using the vehicles. “If there are any reports about the vehicles not being used by the re-migrants, then those vehicles can be subject to serious reprimand or the re-migrants can be subject processes under the Customs Law, seizure and all of that,” he said.
Sattaur claimed that one of the GRA officers prevented the enforcers from the tax agency from entering his premises at Continental Park where the vehicles were believed to have been located up to late Friday night. Sattaur claimed that the GRA officer told his colleagues that lawyers have advised that the enforcers need a court order to seize property. “My officers cannot be removed from anyone’s premise if they are there officially to conduct their business and I was told that the lawyer advised this person that he can use reasonable force to remove my officer,”  Sattaur said. The Tax Chief said GRA officers receive a Writ of Assistance annually from the Court to execute their duties of searching and seizure.
The GRA Commissioner General planned to take legal action, through Attorney General, Anil Nandlall, against the Kaieteur News publisher for alleged threats and intimidation during the course of the tax agency executing its duties.
Asked whether he would be taking disciplinary action against the GRA officer for alleged obstruction of duties, Sattaur said he was contemplating doing so but would have to rely on the relevant advice.
The Kaieteur News newspaper recently published a photograph of a vehicle in possession of an official of the Chinese logging company, Bai Shan Lin, and stated that millions of dollars in tax concessions had been waived as part of a sweetheart deal with the Guyana government. That newspaper has also reported that the company has received several other tax concessions from the GRA.
Bai Shan Lin’s operations here have in recent weeks been under the spotlight for alleged excessive exports of logs  in breach of local laws and regulations as well as international standards.
However, the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC) has rejected those claims by providing some statistics and explanation of procedures for logging and log exportation to prove its case.

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QUOTE "The Kaieteur News newspaper recently published a photograph of a vehicle in possession of an official of the Chinese logging company, Bai Shan Lin, and stated that millions of dollars in tax concessions had been waived as part of a sweetheart deal with the Guyana government. That newspaper has also reported that the company has received several other tax concessions from the GRA."UNQUOTE

FM

Why did Sattaur not done his homework before granting tax concessions to the remigrants?

 

Why wait after months or even year, then before making a case. Another incompetent Govt Offices......Another square peg in a round hole.

FM
Originally Posted by Billy Ram Balgobin:

A whole bunch of corrupt people in the opposition showing their true colors in light of the re-migrant scam involving Glenn Lall.  

 

Replacing the PPP will exacerbate the problem of corruption. 


Any other Government will be better than a Seemingly Perceived Thieving and Corrupt PPP/C

FM

Quote Pouderoyen Man

 

"My Gaad. More distruciver behaivour by the PPP again, by their middle man at the GRA. The Chinese company that ripping off Guyana by bringing all type of vehicles by the HUNDREDS DUTY FREE. The Indian comapny bringining vehicles duty free. The Russians brining in vehicles duty free. The Brizilians bringining vehicles duty free and Guyanese who born in Guyana can't. Guyanese who born in Guyana cant even get a Blasted House Lot to build a 2 bedroom house, but these foreigners getting as much of ONE (1) MILLION ACRES OF LAND FOR FREE.

 

What does this tell you......indirectly that some bigwig is being greased in both pockets as it would seem.

 

 

FM

Update: GRA succeeds in seizing Lexus vehicles at the center of an alleged $40M tax fraud

August 30, 2014 4:17 pmCategory: latest newsA+ / A-

 

[www.inewsguyana.com] – The Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), has managed to take possession of two Lexus vehicles that are at the center of an alleged $40 million tax fraud involving Kaieteur News Publisher Glen Lall, Commissioner General of the GRA, Khursid Sattaur has confirmed. 

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This comes within 24 hours of GRA Enforcement Officers being involved in a standoff with one of their colleagues, who had refused to hand over the vehicles during an operation last night.

Sattaur told iNews that the move was voluntary on the part of the GRA Officer who had refused access earlier but refused when asked to identify the Officer.

“I think he has come to his senses or awaken from the slumber he was in,” the GRA Head said; adding that “I act fearlessly and no one can interfere when I act, so the protection he probably thought he would get from higher up he realized he didn’t get it and his day was up… he is now more concerned with if his job is secured.”

According to Sattaur, now that the vehicles are in their custody a full investigation would be carried out.

He described the actions of the Officer that had attempted to protect what could possibly be a major cheat of taxes as abominable, distasteful and an embarrassment.

Earlier in the day, he told iNews that both vehicles are worth approximately US$90,000 each; adding that the GRA would have been cheated some $40 million in taxes.

Reports are that two Lexus vehicles were imported by a couple, who benefited from duty free concessions under the Re – migrant Scheme, but were not in possession of the vehicles which is in breach of a six month reporting period.

iNews learnt that the vehicles were awarded on the condition that it cannot be leased or transferred within three years but instead was in the possession of Lall and his wife.

Sattaur said it was sad to know that it was a GRA officer that prevented the enforcement Officers from entering his premises at Continental Park where the vehicles were said to be.

The GRA Head had warned that no one who tries to cheat the agency will be spared; adding that all legal action will be taken to bring closure to the matter. He said action will be taken against anyone who seeks to bring reprimand to the agency too.

FM

Quote "iNews learnt that the vehicles were awarded on the condition that it cannot be leased or transferred within three years but instead was in the possession of Lall and his wife.unquote

 

The vehicles being in possession by Lall and his wife, does not mean that they owned the vehicles or do they?

FM

quote "Let the records show that Glen Lall did not break any law. As for the GRA, it is home to a boss who is mired in a conflict of interest fiasco with several relatives under his employ in a public corporation that handles the personal and financial information of Guyanese. This is unheard of in any other country, but Guyana is the exception because it is run by a corrupt and vindictive government.

 

Bai Shan Lin is supposed to be doing exploratory work but has brought in many pieces of equipment and luxury vehicles DUTY FREE. No company doing exploratory work needs all those DUTY FREE VEHICLES, which means Bai Shan Lin is doing more than exploratory work. The problem for these lowly migrants is that they are Guyanese and not Chinese, because as far as the PPP and GRA are concerned, Chinese take precedence over Guyanese.

Isn’t Bai Shan Lin building a parking lot on the Lamaha Canal embankment in the Cummingsburg area that will be used by GRA? See the connections?

unquote
FM
Originally Posted by asj:

quote "Let the records show that Glen Lall did not break any law. As for the GRA, it is home to a boss who is mired in a conflict of interest fiasco with several relatives under his employ in a public corporation that handles the personal and financial information of Guyanese. This is unheard of in any other country, but Guyana is the exception because it is run by a corrupt and vindictive government.

 

Bai Shan Lin is supposed to be doing exploratory work but has brought in many pieces of equipment and luxury vehicles DUTY FREE. No company doing exploratory work needs all those DUTY FREE VEHICLES, which means Bai Shan Lin is doing more than exploratory work. The problem for these lowly migrants is that they are Guyanese and not Chinese, because as far as the PPP and GRA are concerned, Chinese take precedence over Guyanese.

Isn’t Bai Shan Lin building a parking lot on the Lamaha Canal embankment in the Cummingsburg area that will be used by GRA? See the connections?

unquote

there should be no tax concessions for Logging companies or mining companies. It is not like they are coming in for widely available product. They are coming because they have very little options to do their trade.

 

The Corrupt PPP is doing exactly what corrupt officials bought out by loggers do the world over. This enforcement tactic against a Newspaper taking them to task is exactly in line what has happened elsewhere. Reporters were even murdered.

FM

IT IS SHAMEFUL WHAT RICH PEOPLE ARE GETTING AWAY WITH. THE POOR MAN CANT FIND MONEY TO BUY RICE BUT THE VERY RICH IS CHEATING THE GOVT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  AND THE SAME CHEATS WANT US TO BELIEVE THEY ARE GODS AND PROTECTORS OF THE GUYANESE PEOPLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!  BLOODY SHAMELESS BASTARDS!!!

Nehru
Originally Posted by Nehru:

IT IS SHAMEFUL WHAT RICH PEOPLE ARE GETTING AWAY WITH. THE POOR MAN CANT FIND MONEY TO BUY RICE BUT THE VERY RICH IS CHEATING THE GOVT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  AND THE SAME CHEATS WANT US TO BELIEVE THEY ARE GODS AND PROTECTORS OF THE GUYANESE PEOPLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!  BLOODY SHAMELESS BASTARDS!!!

Look Shame here....

Who pay for Kurshid Children Overseas Schooling....

KSI Baby want cover this up....

 


Originally Posted by Stormborn:
Originally Posted by raymond:

Jalil

 

Warning on posting the same thing twice

He has a right to. This is about the the 4th thread thread on Lall (and I bet there are more) and his supposed backhanded way in acquiring the use of the vehicles he drive.

 

What is missing here is the vindictiveness and the use of underhanded tactic to intimidate Lall on his exposure of the Chinese destruction of our forests. The PPP and its army on the take from these corrupt deals do not care to make that public. To date we have not seen real numbers on log exports or why or the reason BaiShanLin gets to work other leases when land-lording is not permitted.

 

The fact is what is happening here is exactly what has been done elsewhere. The administration takes it upon itself to cover up the corrupt forestry practices by attacking critics. I bet Lall was driving those cars for years and no one had anything to say.

 

The use of the state institutions ie tax agencies as enforcement for the state is among the worse form of corruption in the society. This exactly what is occurring here. How the hell can the lords of PPP propaganda know these things if the fellow in that office and his offspring and kin did not spring into action to assist the corrupt PPP?

 

They did the same thing to Freddie, to Hughes and this has to stop. That fellow in the tax office should have his nepotistic ass on the streets for hiring his entire brood. It would be the case had he been in any other western nation. PPP corrupt practice seem  to know no limits!

D2 wait until you find out

who was paying fees for Kurshid

child overseas schooling.

 

Hint - a PNC Gun Smuggler

who son is in USA Jail

for Shipping Coke from Guyana.

... Bobby Vieira after signing the agreement in New York recently

Jagdeo Know De man,

Ramotar Know De man,

Kurshid Know De man,

Irfan Know De man ,

... based Guyanese radio personality Bobby Viera at the event in New York 

Anil Know De man,

Rohee Know De man,

Robert Know De man,

Prya Know De man,

Roger Know De man,

Jerry Gouvia know de man

FM

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