Latest update February 6th, 2025 7:27 AM
U.S. takes action against Guyanese for alleged tax evasion but silent on looting of Guyana’s resources by foreign companies – Dr. Glenn Lall
Kaieteur News – Publisher of the Kaieteur News and businessman Dr. Glenn Lall on Friday questioned the move by the United States Department of Treasury to sanction two Guyanese businessmen for alleged tax evasion relative to gold smuggling in Guyana but the said agency is silent on the looting of the country’s resources by foreign companies, including U.S. oil giant, and operator of the lucrative Stabroek Block ExxonMobil.
Publisher of Kaieteur News, Dr. Glenn Lall
“Yuh don’t hear the same conversations about the US billions, not US millions, but US billions that is being looted out of this country by the foreigners, year go year come. NO, that is of little or no concern to Guyanese and the US Govt. The foreigners can drain the country’s economy, loot our wealth in the US billions, and take it all out of the country. Yet, this is not the hottest topic in town, in fact, there is a wall of silence right across this country on that,” Dr. Lall said during his tri-weekly programme aired on Kaieteur Radio.
The Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) on Tuesday said that it is targeting what has been described as a corruption network in Guyana.
According to statement issued via its website, the OFAC has sanctioned members of one of Guyana’s wealthiest families, Nazar Mohamed and his son, Azruddin Mohamed, their companies, Mohamed’s Enterprise, and Hadi’s World and Team Mohamed’s Racing Team.
Additionally, OFAC sanctioned embattled Guyanese Permanent Secretary, (PS) Mae Thomas whose US visa was evoked last year after she was intercepted, questioned and her phone seized while in-transiting in the United States. Since the official US sanction, she was sent on leave with immediate effect.
The Mohameds are accused of tax evasion relative to gold declarations amounting to some US$50M as well as bribery of state officials.
Dr. Lall on his radio programme said that since the statement by the OFAC, the issue of gold smuggling, corruption and tax evasion by the Mohameds has been a consistent topic in conversations across the country.
The businessman pointed to the allegations against the Mohameds prompted the government to host a press conference which was dominated by the subject. This is said is quite unlike the attention given to ExxonMobil and other foreign companies that are looting the country’s resources, thereby cheating the country and its citizens out of US billions in taxes.
“Last year alone, ExxonMobil legally cheated Guyana over US$1.5B in taxes that is US$1,500,000,000 not US$50M but US$1,500,000,000 in taxes. Where are your voices, the US Govt. statement, and where is Jagdeo’s voice or a Press Conference on that? Please uncle, I don’t want none of you to believe I am condoning cheating and corruption, if a man cheats, breaks the law, the law must take its course, but when a foreigner can be granted permission to cheat a country legally, then that is a crime beyond the Guyanese cheating taxes,” Dr. Lall said.
The Kaieteur News publisher questioned the silence of the U.S. on the auditors being prevented from accessing the raw production data being recorded by ExxonMobil.
“Isn’t that a crime way beyond a mere US$50M evasion of taxes? A govt. sent in their auditors to check the books, the records fuh [to] see how much oil Exxon pump and ExxonMobil telling the auditors get out from here, this is not your business,” he remarked.
Dr. Lall lamented that the aforementioned situation is clearly being ignored.
“This is not a topic in the rum shops, not a discussion in the speed boats, in the churches, in our Parliament, or even in the Office of the President, or in the Opposition camp. Eh eh, that is not even discussed on the Radio and TV stations or on Social Media platforms. But Guyanese cheating taxes on gold shipments, is the crime of the century fuh [for] them. Every day ExxonMobil pumps oil, this country is hemorrhaging because none of us knows the exact amount being pumped and shipped out. And guess what uncle, only Glenn Lall and the Kaieteur News talking about this. Why man? Wait is only we concerned about Guyana and its future, okay, I hear you,” he remarked.
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