Latest update February 10th, 2025 7:48 AM
GRA officers demand $500,000 in bribes from businesswoman
Attorney-at-law, Manoj Narayan
A businesswoman is likely to file legal proceedings against the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) as early as tomorrow amidst allegations that she was pressured to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes.
The Kuru Kururu, East Bank Demerara woman has already given a statement against one Customs officer and a number of staffers of GRA’s Enforcement arm.
Her lawyer, Manoj Narayan, yesterday said that GRA back-pedalled on a deal to have her testify against the staffers and instead sent her a notice demanding she pay over $3M in duties for a number of All Terrain Vehicles (ATVs). The demand also dictated that the woman pay some $5.3 million in penalties.
Narayan yesterday admitted that he is representing the woman and said that he is moving to the courts by tomorrow.
Kaieteur News was told that earlier this year, the woman imported five all terrain vehicles (ATVs). ATVs are four-wheel bikes ideal for rough terrain and favoured by miners, loggers and hinterland residents because of their maneuverability.
Government had announced that it will be waiving duties and other taxes on the ATVs once they are for the use in the hinterland.
The woman is claiming that she filed paperwork at GRA for the ATVs and was given to royal runaround for them to be processed on a timely manner.
She claimed that she was later told by a GRA staffer that the ATVs could be eligible for duty free letters but she will have to pay over $400,000 each to staffers to get the letters.
According to the lawyer, his client agreed and was issued duty free letters signed by a Deputy Commissioner General of the GRA, Clement Sealey.
“The signature on these letters was not forged,” Narayan insisted. The bikes were sold to miners.
Last month, around August 11 and August 12, officials of the GRA’s Enforcement Unit descended on a number of places including Clonbrook, East Coast Demerara, and North Road and Alberttown, in the city, and seized three of the bikes which were in workshops under repairs.
According to the lawyer, his client was asked to pay $500,000 or two ounces of gold to have the ATVs released. She refused.
The matter reached Commissioner General of GRA, Khurshid Sattaur.
The businesswoman was called in to give a statement which she did, implicating staffers of the Enforcement Unit and at least one Customs officer.
According to Narayan, an agreement was reached with GRA to have the woman give evidence against the staffers.
“We reached an understanding that my client will not be penalized and that the miners who would have been sold the ATVs would be issued duty free letters. In return she would testify against the staffers.”
However, it seemed that the deal fell through.
“On Friday, my client received a letter demanding she pay more than $3M in duty and taxes.
Here, we have GRA asking people to come forward when there is bribery and fraud involved with its staffers. She was willing to give evidence. Now, how would she testify?”
According to Narayan, his client may very well not be willing to give evidence against the staffers now. In the meantime, the staffers remain on the job.
“I have heard that there was an internal investigation but I am not aware of the findings,” Narayan said yesterday.
In recent times, GRA had disclosed a massive scheme over duty free letters and ATVs. Over $100M in duties was said to have been lost in revenues.
GRA had announced an investigation but has to date not made its findings known.
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