Latest update November 21st, 2024 1:00 AM
Seized jet with stashed cash…Govt says state paid for Ramotar’s private jet trips
Initial queries about the President’s use of the jet that was seized by Puerto Rican officials did not yield answers.
Pilot: Khemraj Lall
However, the government, through its information agency, sent out a statement yesterday to the effect that all uses of the jet service were for official purposes and were paid for.
Government Information Agency (GINA) said that the Guyana Government has noted with interest, recent media reports pointing to alleged breaches of Federal Customs regulations of the United States of America, by the Exec Jet Club Guyana which operates out of the Kaylee Service Station, East Bank Demerara.
GINA indicated that the company’s services were procured on three occasions by the government for transporting delegations led by President Donald Ramotar himself on official State business overseas.
In was noted that on all such occasions, payments were rendered for the charter of an aircraft operated by the Exec Jet Club, Guyana. Initial reports were that Ramotar travelled on official state trips to Brazil and Puerto Rico. He also used the jet to travel to Suriname.
Guyanese pilot Khamraj Lall was recently detained in Puerto Rico for failing to declare thousands of United States dollars stashed in different sections of his private jet.
US Customs and Border Protection agents carried out a routine search of the executive craft and found sums totalling US$620,000 hidden under seats and near the engine.
Lall was the co-pilot on the flight. He was travelling with his father and the pilot when he took sole responsibility for the hidden cash. The three occupants declared certain sums of money, far less than what was found by the customs agents.
Lall was permitted to build a private hangar at the country’s largest airport to conduct executive flight services and medical evacuation (Medivac).
Cabinet Secretary Dr. Roger Luncheon when asked about the President’s travel had said that he was not privy to information about how much those trips cost the Guyana Government.
Dr. Luncheon said that he suspected that state funds might not have been involved in the trips, but will make the necessary checks from his records to confirm the information.
Lall has a private hanger at CJIA. The entrance to Lall’s hangar is some distance away from that of CJIA arrival and departure lounges. The area is very much secluded and is accessed by another road which takes one to the southern end of the airport tarmac.
To access the hangar, instead of turning left on public road leading to the airport, one has to turn right onto “Khali Road” and drive to the facility which has one private security booth ahead of the main building.
No airport security is visible there. It has been stated by airport staff that given the hangar’s location, persons could access the facility day or night without anyone ever knowing. They said, “While it (hangar) is at the (CJIA) airport, you cannot see it or access it from the main building.”
Kaieteur News is still to ascertain whether former President Bharrat Jagdeo would have at any time been a passenger on the executive luxury carrier. Lall is expected to attend a bail hearing in Puerto Rico next week.
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