Latest update November 26th, 2024 1:00 AM

Guyana's largest selling daily and New York's most popular weekly

Latest News

Another head rolls at GRA… High-ranking official sent on leave

Jun 14, 2008 News

The Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), currently in the throes of a major corruption probe, has suffered its latest casualty with a high-ranking official of the Remission Unit being sent on leave.

It was unclear yesterday whether this latest twist is related to the Polar beer case or the wider ongoing probe ordered by President Bharrat Jagdeo several weeks ago.

The Remission Unit is tasked with processing of, among other things, concessions for persons returning from overseas to live here. There were widespread reports that everything was not right in the unit.

Eleven GRA officers are on leave and five have been dismissed as a task force comprising of the police, Ministry of Finance and Office of the Auditor General continue their investigations.

Several of the GRA employees, who are currently on leave, yesterday told Kaieteur News that they are still awaiting word on their fate.

GRA staffers are being questioned about containers brought in by Fidelity Investments and Kong Inc last year, importers of Venezuela’s Polar beer that was cleared by several GRA officers.

Investigators believe that the containers which came in last year were filled with Polar beer, but the GRA officers, including members of the Internal Affairs, Enforcement, VAT and Customs, allegedly colluded to forge documents to show that, instead, there were soft drinks in the containers.

Sources close to the investigations said that GRA officers are unable to agree what kind of soft drinks were in the container and could not find any of the ones that were claimed to be in the containers anywhere in Guyana.

President Bharrat Jagdeo has said that the probe will widen to include other civil servants as some evidently had assets that were questionable. The GRA officers were also questioned about their bank accounts, vehicles and other assets owned, this newspaper was told.

According to the dismissal letters, the officers were guilty of gross negligence, among other things, and were guilty of causing substantial loss of revenue to the GRA because of their actions.

Some of the GRA officers have been working with Government for as many as 14 years.

Recently, the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) called for the immediate re-instatement of two Internal Affairs officers who were fired on April 25.

About eight weeks ago, President Jagdeo had ordered a full blown probe into possible corruption involving civil servants and their assets, after the possible scam unearthed.

The Head of State, during a press conference, had also made startling revelations, painting a picture of elaborate schemes by public servants, including Customs officers and businessmen, to defraud Government of millions of dollars.

According to the President, the investigations will go beyond the Fidelity Investments fiasco.

When announcing the probe, President Jagdeo said that it came in the wake of reports that a number of people involved in revenue collection had, over time, secured millions of dollars from large businesses operating in Guyana.

Initial reports were that those involved collected some $150 million from Fidelity Investments in the wake of the seizure of a quantity of Polar beer. GRA had seized the Polar beer, because it had evidence to support its contention that Fidelity Investments had set out to defraud the government of some $350 million in revenue.

Three more Customs officers from Charity, Essequibo, have been also sent home on leave. Officials are saying that their circumstances are not linked to the larger investigation triggered by the Polar beer but rather of wrongdoing at that location.

Similar Articles

The Glenn Lall Show | November, 20th, 2024

Follow on Tik Tok @Glennlall

THE BLUNT OF THE DAY

Sports

Rutherford gets big payday from Gujarat Titans at IPL 2025 Mega Auction; Shepherd, Powell snapped up by RCB and KKR, respectively

Rutherford gets big payday from Gujarat Titans at IPL 2025 Mega...

Nov 26, 2024

  SportsMax – Guyanese hard-hitting left hander Sherfane Rutherford will get the opportunity to shine on T20 franchise cricket’s biggest stage once again after being picked up by the...
Read More
Roach and Seales star as West Indies close in on Antigua Test victory

Roach and Seales star as West Indies close in on...

Nov 26, 2024

Delroy Tyrrell continues to excel at Oneonta State University

Delroy Tyrrell continues to excel at Oneonta...

Nov 26, 2024

Ramdass Royals Crowned Champions of the Inaugural Windies Masters Cricket Extravaganza

Ramdass Royals Crowned Champions of the Inaugural...

Nov 26, 2024

KFC Guyana distance self from delayed payment of GFF Elite League prizes

KFC Guyana distance self from delayed payment of...

Nov 26, 2024

Ravens and Royals ready for epic Elite 16 final showdown

Ravens and Royals ready for epic Elite 16 final...

Nov 26, 2024

Features/Columnists

Publisher’s Note

Freedom of speech is our core value at Kaieteur News. If the letter/e-mail you sent was not published, and you believe that its contents were not libellous, let us know, please contact us by phone or email.

Feel free to send us your comments and/or criticisms.
Contact: 624-6456; 225-8452; 225-8458; 225-8463; 225-8465; 225-8473 or 225-8491.
Or by Email: [email protected] / [email protected]

Weekend Cartoon

Bridge Watch

Demerara Harbour Bridge

> Berbice Bridge […]