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Former Member

Seized remigrants Lexus’…Lawyer objects to delay s- GRA wants Court case discharge

SEPTEMBER 16, 2014 | BY KNEWS | FILED UNDER NEWS

The Guyana Revenue Authorities (GRA) has continued to detain two Lexus vehicles seized from a remigrant couple last month with state lawyers filing a motion last Friday to discharge a court order which called on the entity to explain its actions.

The two Lexus belonging to a remigrant couple being taken voluntarily to the GRA’s Eccles bond.

When the case was called yesterday before Chief Justice (ag), Ian Chang, GRA’s attorney-at-law, Stephen Fraser asked for the court to hear the motion. After arguments back and forth, the Chief Justice agreed to allow GRA to put its case for the discharge in writing.
The agency has until Friday to submit its arguments with the matter to be called again next Wednesday.
However, the move by GRA to challenge the September 2nd order by the court was objected to by attorney-at-law Robin Hunte, the lawyer for Narootandeo and Gharbassi Brijnanan, the remigrant couple.
According to Hunte, the GRA has been in possession of the two vehicles since August 30th, when they were taken voluntarily to the Eccles bond by the son of the remigrants.
That should have been enough time for GRA to conduct the necessary checks. Hunte successfully asked the court for an early hearing as the two vehicles continue to be in the custody of GRA, depriving his clients of their rights.
On September 2nd, the Brijnanans went to court asking for orders to be granted, and directed to GRA, quashing the decision by the entity to detain two Lexus LX 570 motor vehicles, bearing registration numbers, PRR 8398 and PRR 8399.
According to the Brijnanans, both vehicles were imported by them after their application for remigrant status was approved by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 3rd July, 2013, and tax exemptions granted by GRA via a letter dated 8th July, 2013.
The court action said that the grounds for the seizures were “arbitrary”, “unreasonable”, in breach of their legitimate expectations and the provisions of the Customs Act, and was unlawful.
The Brijnanans are being represented by attorneys-at-law Hunte, Ganesh Hira and Manoj Narayan.
In their claims, the couple said they have homes in Number 61 Village, Berbice, and at Continental Park, East Bank Demerara, and that they were United States residents since 1997, acquiring citizenship in 2003.
“During the years 2008 to 2012, we travelled frequently to Guyana and eventually in the year 2013, we decided to return to our country of birth to spend our golden years.”
They applied and were granted remigrant status and subsequently were given tax exemptions on the two Lexus vehicles, together with a quantity of household furniture, appliances and other items. The couple said that they were required to pay Excise Tax of 10% of the CIF (Cost, Insurance and Freight) value of the two vehicles which were shipped, arriving in Georgetown last year September.
According to the Brijnanans, the vehicles were used by them, their son, Nityanand Narootandeo, who is a senior official in GRA, and “by close friends of the family”.
The Brijnanans said they were visiting their Berbice home when they learnt that GRA officers had attempted to remove the vehicles from their Continental Park home.
“On Saturday, the 30th of August, 2014, he (Nityanand) delivered the aforesaid motor vehicles to the warehouse of the Revenue Authority located at Eccles Industrial Site, East Bank Demerara, in accordance with the instructions and directions of the officers, servants and/or agents of the Revenue Authority.”
The couple said that the vehicles have not been released by GRA and they were advised by their lawyers that the seizures were unlawful; in breach of their legitimate expectations and fundamental rights as guaranteed by the Constitution.

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Former Member

This is not the only illegal thing this Sh!t did. He hired 5 family into GRA.

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Family Affair exists at GRA…Sattaur employs two sons, daughter, nephew niece

JULY 20, 2014 | BY KNEWS | FILED UNDER NEWS

A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) Parliamentarian, Joseph Harmon, is of the view that the relevant authorities which govern the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) must immediately launch an investigation into why Commissioner General, Khurshid Sattaur, has five close relatives working in managerial positions there.
According to reports both of Sattaur’s sons, a daughter, a niece and a nephew all work at the GRA.
This newspaper was also told that Imran Sattaur, 26, the Commissioner General’s son, works in the Audit Division as a Manager. He earns $231,451 per month, which does not include allowances.
Another son, Rayad Sattaur, who is an engineer, works in the Information Technology department and earns $321,446 per month. Like his brother, his salary doesn’t include allowances.
The Commissioner General’s daughter, Safiyyah Sattaur, works as an intern at the GRA. One source explained that she would work at the GRA during semester break from the University of Guyana. It’s unclear whether she is paid salary or stipend but the National Insurance Scheme (NIS) has her listed as an employee.
Then there are Sattaur’s niece, Anisha, and his nephew Javid. His niece Anisha Sattaur works in the Liability section, which handles clearance forms for firearm licences, gratuity etc. The nephew Javid Rasheed works within the Tax Exemption Department. Kaieteur News was told that the department deals with the granting of tax exemptions for companies and individuals, whether for mining or remigrants among other categories.
Harmon told Kaieteur News that the news of this is very worrying. He said that the information needs to be brought into the public domain to better deal with “cronyism and nepotism”. According to Harmon, people create a passage or pathway for friends and family to the top. It was said that this is no way different than how the Peoples Progressive Party PPP handles business.
“I’m sure that the administration knows what exactly is happening at GRA…they are dealing with issues of taxes, and the finances of the country which is serious business,” Harmon told Kaieteur News.
“You cannot have the father, the sons, daughter and the whole family working in the same place. Probably when they go home they say who is going to be dealt with…and it leads to nepotism,” Harmon said.
Established on January 27, 2000, the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) resulted from the merger of two departments, the Inland Revenue Department and Customs and Excise Department.