Latest update April 7th, 2025 6:08 AM
High Court bars GRA from seizing Team Mohamed’s luxury vehicles
… Azruddin Mohamed claims PPP going after his vehicles over fear of him entering 2025 elections race
Kaieteur News- High Court judge Gino Persaud on Saturday afternoon granted an interim injunction barring the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) from seizing several luxury vehicles belonging to businessman Azruddin Mohamed.
Justice Persaud granted the injunction pending the outcome of the legal challenge relating to Mohamed’s alleged failure to pay additional taxes to the GRA for the high-end vehicles.
Team Mohameds supporters at his Houston residence on Saturday morning when GRA turned up to seize several luxury vehicles
The GRA is pursuing over $900 million in taxes for a 2020 Ferrari, a 2023 Land Rover Range Rover, a 2023 Rolls Royce, a 2020 Lamborghini Roadster, and two 2021 Toyota Land Cruisers, nearly five years after the vehicles arrived in Guyana.
The GRA in a statement to the media following the court hearing said that Justice Persaud issued an order temporarily restraining the Authority and their servants or agents from detaining and seizing Toyota Landcruiser PAB 3000, Toyota Landcruiser PAB 4000, Lamborghini Aventador PZZ 4000 and Ferrari 488 PAD 5000.
“At a further hearing at 3:30 pm the learned Judge further extended the Order until Thursday April 10th, 2025, within which time the GRA must file responses to Mr. Mohamed’s Application for a Judicial review, and a full Injunction,” GRA said.
“Accordingly, the Revenue Authority will continue to act in accordance with the Order of the Honourable Court and the laws administered. Officers of the Authority were instructed to discontinue its operations aimed at the possession of the said vehicles for the taxes owed and breaches to the remigrant agreement(s) pending the decision of the learned Judge,” the statement said.
Further, the Revenue Authority said that the seizure and possession of vehicles for taxes and breaches to remigrant and duty-free agreements are nothing new.
GRA and police officer retreating
“Matter of fact, hundreds (100’s) of such cases are carried out yearly when there are breaches by re-migrants, public servants, breaches to Investment Agreements and even when Tax Exempt Agencies and Diplomats do not abide by the agreements by which such vehicles are entered free of cost, or subject to reduced duty. This particular activity results in hundreds of millions of dollars in tax collections on an annual basis.”
The GRA said it administers the laws in “a fair and consistent manner, regardless of who the taxpayer may be”.
“In the cases in question, the Authority by letters and email on three occasions over one month invited the Mohameds to make arrangements to satisfy its debts to the Authority. The Authority further intimated to them of the alternative actions for such breaches, should the taxes due not be settled or satisfactory arrangements be made to do so. They failed to initiate any discourse hence the action carried out by the Authority.
The Authority has irrefutable evidence of the breaches for the action taken, and the understated value(s) of the other vehicles, and will vigorously defend the said cases presently before the Court,” the statement concluded.
Meanwhile, on Saturday morning plans by the GRA and the Guyana Police Force (GPF) to seize the businessman’s vehicles were halted after supporters of Team Mohameds surrounded his premises in protest.
The authorities’ attempt to seize the vehicles sparked public outcry, with protestors voicing deep frustrations over perceived injustices against the Mohamed family, who moved to the court to challenge the GRA.
Guyanese businessman, Azruddin Mohamed
“Stop fighting the man down… why y’all fighting he down, he looking out for poor people, y’all low he,” one supporter shouted.
Another protester said, “Sugar raising, rice raising, oil raising… when rice gon drop, sometimes some children don’t even eat nothing and go to school and get black out.”
Some directed their anger at multinational corporations, stating, “ExxonMobil they have to go and harass… they taking all the money, they ain’t doing nothing. ExxonMobil, they have to go to.”
Others shouted, “We want a change. We need a change; we want a better system, for Guyana… A better system, a better tomorrow for the ghetto youths, right now we punishing dawg, we punishing.”
For his part, Azruddin said that the entire matter is politically driven, tied to fears he may run for office at the upcoming elections.
“They said they come to seize the vehicles, so I don’t know all of a sudden you come to seize the vehicles. They should have seized the first day they arrived in the country,” Mohamed said.
He disclosed that he will be making public statements in the near future to show that officials of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) government were aware of the vehicles even before they were imported.
“Very soon I have a lot of things that I will put in the public on who instructed the release of these vehicles it came from high up when the vehicles arrived in this country,” he said.
Mohamed added, “But before I released the post on Facebook what Bharrat is talking about… that’s a lie. The reason I released that post is because a month prior to that Jagdeo and Nandlall told me that they are coming to seize the vehicles if I don’t release a statement that I’m not running for office, so this is political.”
According to Mohamed, “We already moved to the court that’s why I wanna know how GRA arrive here this morning cause the matter is being addressed very shortly through the legal system. We already sent all the emails to GRA showing them that we have moved to the court so I don’t know if they want to bully me now for the vehicles.”
He insisted that he has evidence proving the vehicles were legally approved. “We are not giving up the vehicles because the vehicles were approved, everything went through the legal process at GRA so why seize the vehicles now 4 years after.”
Moreover, his father, Nazar “Shell” Mohamed, said, “I know it’s their job but you cannot take illegal instructions, you cannot take illegal instructions… come with the legal documents and we will give you the vehicles. Go to the court order and I will release the vehicle, I will ensure the vehicles are released in your custody.”
He continued, “These vehicles passed through the system, this man didn’t thief them off the wharf… went through all the system, you are the ones who supposed to take us to court.”
Shell also criticized GRA’s handling of legal correspondence stating that they had written to the Authority but received no response in relation to their concerns raised only to receive a letter that they must surrender the vehicles within seven days.
In June 2024, the United States the U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned the Mohameds over allegations of tax evasion, corruption, and gold smuggling, while Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Labour, Mae Thomas is accused of misusing her position to grant government contracts and other benefits to the businessmen.
GRA Responds
In a statement on Saturday afternoon, GRA said that its officers were blocked by an angry mob while attempting to seize the luxury vehicles belonging to the Mohameds family.
According to the GRA, officers had made three prior requests for Mohamed and his family to settle outstanding taxes or surrender the vehicles in question. With no compliance forthcoming, officers wearing body cameras visited Mohamed’s residence in Houston to enforce the demand notices.
However, the GRA said its officers were denied entry and faced threats from a growing crowd summoned by Mohamed himself. The Revenue Authority said Mohamed then called a crowd from his yard and nearby areas, which “started to get violent and angry, threatening the officials in the execution of their duties.”
The confrontation forced the GRA officers to abandon the operation and seek police support, citing fears for their safety.
It was stated that the vehicles are linked to breaches of re-migrant tax concessions and false declarations of value, amounting to more than $800 million in additional taxes.
The agency further stated, “It is clear based on the preparedness of Mr. Mohamed that he was so informed and his intention was not to comply, but rather to obstruct the officers in the performance of their duties.”
Moreover, GRA said that despite assertions made by legal counsel for the Mohameds, there is no court order preventing the enforcement of its tax claims. “The mere filing of an action is not law until the Court so determines and instructs the Authority otherwise,” the GRA noted.
The Revenue Authority said it is working with police to proceed with the operation and reaffirmed its commitment to acting within the law.
(High Court bars GRA from seizing Team Mohamed’s luxury vehicles)
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