AG still to write US for information on sanctions

Jul 04, 2024 News

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Kaieteur News – Attorney General (AG) and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, SC on Tuesday evening disclosed that he is still to write the United States Department of the Treasury for information on the sanctions imposed on two Guyanese businessmen as well as a government official.

The US Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) imposed sanctions on Guyanese billionaire Nazar Mohamed, his son Azruddin Mohamed for a series of corruption – including gold smuggling and the Permanent Secretary (PS) for the Ministry of Labour, Mae Thomas for allegedly misusing her position to offer benefits, like government contracts to the Mohameds.

Last Friday, in a statement issued by Dr. Ashni K. Singh, Senior Minister in the Office of the President with Responsibility for Finance and the Public Service, announced that the US has informed them that the request for information must be sent by Guyana’s Attorney General to the U.S. Department of Justice, which will then work with OFAC to gather source documentation on the matter.

“Our Government will now submit the request following the process advised. We will also continue to pursue, through the appropriate channel, the relevant information covered by the Tax Information Exchange Agreement. This Agreement provides for the exchange of information to administer and enforce laws concerning the taxes specified therein, to assure the accurate assessment and collection of taxes to prevent fiscal fraud and evasion, and to develop improved information sources for tax matters,” Dr Singh said.

However, on Tuesday night AG Nandlall disclosed, “The question is whether I have commenced that course of communication. I have not done so as yet and I expect to do so before the end of this week.”

Following the sanctions handed down by OFAC, Dr. Singh and Commissioner General of the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), Godfrey Statia wrote to the U.S. authorities seeking more information about the sanctions.

Dr. Singh wrote to the U.S. Department of the Treasury while the Commissioner General under the ambit of the Tax Information Exchange Agreement between Guyana and the US, has been in contact with the American authorities.

Moreover, United States Ambassador to Guyana, Nicole Theriot on June 14, 2024 on the sideline of an event at the U.S. Embassy in Georgetown, said the sanctions, are the result of over two and a half years of investigations by U.S. authorities.

Ambassador Theriot highlighted the gravity of the offenses that led to these sanctions. She stated, “We reserve these types of sanctions for gross levels of corruption and human rights abuses.”

Theriot went on to explain that, “it’s a very high bar, we do not do this lightly. This is something that we ensure that we have a preponderance of evidence before we’re ready to levy the sanctions and we had that in this case against the three individuals who were sanctioned.”

In response to queries about sharing evidence with local authorities, Theriot explained that she had immediately passed the request to the Treasury Department. “I strongly recommended that they share as much of that evidence that is unclassified or that they can share because we have a wonderful partnership with the government of Guyana,” she added.

Theriot underscored that she strongly recommended to her partners in Washington that they provide the Guyanese government with as much information as possible to aid local investigation. She said too, “We want them (local authorities) to be able to take that information and do with it what they need to do.”

On the timeline for presenting this evidence, Theriot expressed a desire for urgency. “I wish I could, I wish it was today. That would be wonderful. But unfortunately, I don’t control the entire US government. So I did ask them though, to expedite it,” she said.

Notwithstanding, Minister Singh said that in addition to the mutual legal assistance process, the government of Guyana expects that the arrangements in place for exchange of tax information and cooperation between tax authorities will provide a means through which relevant information can be shared on matters of this nature in a timely and effective manner.

“We will continue to work closely with all our US counterparts in order to advance this matter in the most thorough and expeditious manner possible,” Dr. Singh said noting that the government will keep the nation informed in the interest of the highest level of transparency.

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• Anil Nandlall, Attorney General (AG) and Minister of Legal Affairs, information, sanctions, SC

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