Glenn Lall, others to appear in court today –to face tax fraud charges
PUBLISHER of the Kaieteur News, Mr. Glenn Lall, and others fingered in an alleged remigrant duty-free scam are expected to appear in the Magistrate’s Court today.
The filing of the charges followed the disclosure of details of an alleged duty-free scam, which were made public by the Guyana Chronicle after a close examination of the Government of Guyana’s review of the Remigrant Scheme.
Under the remigrant programme, Guyanese who would have resided overseas for more than five years and are returning home to reside are entitled to a number of benefits, among which are import duty-free waivers for vehicles, and tax exemption for household items, once the items at reference were owned for six months or more in the country where the remigrant was living.
In Lall’s case, husband and wife, Narootandeo and Gharbassi Brijnanan, were entitled to concessions as two separate individuals, although a joint application was submitted.
The Brijnanans, having decided to return to Guyana to live permanently, were entitled to certain tax breaks, so they imported two luxury vehicles. But the address they gave on the registration forms for both vehicles, Lot 8 Continental Park, East Bank Demerara, was that of their son, Navin Sankar, even though the Lalls are the primary users of the vehicles.
The vehicle, PRR 8398, for instance, is usually parked in front of the Kaieteur News head office on Saffon Street, Charlestown, while PRR 8399 is often seen on Regent Street, in the heart of the city, near Bhena’s Footwear, the shoe business operated by Lall’s wife.
The Brijnanans successfully obtained import duty concessions in the sum of $4,222,223.55 for each vehicle, totalling in excess of $8M. Meanwhile, this newspaper’s research into the source price for a Lexus L570 is about US$80,000. Import duty for such a vehicle would be a total of US$94,500, bringing the total value of the vehicle to US$174,500, or more than G$36M for each of the vehicles imported by the Brijnanans.
If the alleged violations are upheld, it would mean that the Government was cheated out of a total of US$189,000 (US$94,500 times two), or almost $40M in import duty for the two vehicles.
At the end of August, after an hours-long standoff between GRA officials and the Brijnanans’ son, Sankar, a high-ranking GRA employee, the vehicles were handed over to GRA and impounded at the authority’s warehouse.
An investigation was then launched to ensure that procedures and policy, as well as the provisions of the law were adhered to. The criminal charges, this newspaper understands, stem from that investigation.
Six criminal charges, altogether, have been filed against Lall and the Brijnanans and they state that:
1. All four parties were knowingly concerned in the fraudulent evasion of import duties of Customs on vehicle, PRR 8398, contrary to Section 218(e) of the Customs Act, Chapter 82:01.
2. All four parties were knowingly concerned in the fraudulent evasion of import duties of Customs on vehicle, PRR 8399, contrary to Section 218(e) of the Customs Act, Chapter 82:01.
3. Glenn Lall and Bhena Lall, knowingly dealt with goods with intent to defraud the revenue of duties thereon to wit one (1) Lexus LX 570 Motor Vehicle registration number PRR 8398 with engine capacity 5700 cc, Chassis No. JTJHY7AX6 D4094851, contrary to Section 218(d) of the Customs Act Chapter 82:01
4. Glenn Lall and Bhena Lall, knowingly dealt with goods with intent to defraud the revenue of duties thereon to wit one (1) Lexus LX 570 Motor Vehicle registration number PRR 8399 with engine capacity 5700 cc, Chassis No. JTJHY7AX6 D4094851, contrary to Section 218(d) of the Customs Act Chapter 82:01.
5. Narootandeo and Gharbassi Brijnanan did make and subscribe to a false declaration in a matter relating to the Customs, contrary to Section 217(1)(a) of the Customs Act Chapter 82:01, involving a vehicle PRR 8398
6. Narootandeo and Gharbassi Brijnanan did make and subscribe to a false declaration in a matter relating to the Customs, contrary to Section 217(1)(a) of the Customs Act Chapter 82:01, involving a vehicle PRR 8399.
Additionally, in September, Lall is alleged to have evaded taxes on imported printing ink for over a decade now. He and his wife were also sued by Acting Town Clerk of the Mayor and City Council, Ms Carol Sooba for $5.6M and $60,142 as unpaid rates for the years 2004 to 2013 in relation to their property at 24 Saffon Street.
