Kaieteur News columnist Frederick Kissoon has been accused by the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) of tax evasion—a charge that he denies and for which his attorney has asked the agency to produce the evidence.
Kissoon received a letter on Wednesday from GRA’s legal officer Mahendra Satram, who stated that a review of Kissoon’s tax returns have revealed that he had “[wilfully] and/or negligently failed” to disclose monthly earnings of $250,000 from the Kaieteur News publisher. “IN the circumstances, kindly take steps to have the said returns amended to reflect the aforementioned income and any other undisclosed or suppressed sources of income within seven (7) days from the date of this letter, failing which legal proceedings will be instituted against you pursuant to the provisions of the Income Tax Act…,” Satram added.
The letter to Kissoon was received a day after he had written a column about attorney Nigel Hughes, against whom similar allegations had been made by the GRA.
Hughes, who is Kissoon’s lawyer, wrote to GRA on Thursday, denying the allegation and the claim about his client’s earnings.
Hughes said that “in light of the gravity of the accusation and the imputation of criminal activity on the part of our client we are instructed to request that you immediately produce evidence of your allegations, failing which we will be left with no alternative but to assume that your conduct was born of malice and spite and is politically-motivated.”
Hughes said that “this is an act of the highest level of unprofessionalism to utilise your office for the purpose of political prosecution and malice,” adding that failure to produce monthly cheques for the stated sum will result in legal action being taken.
