By Femi Harris
Publisher of the Kaieteur News Mohan ‘Glenn’ Lall and his wife Bhena Lall were yesterday both released on self-bail after they denied four tax evasion charges read against them at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.
Remigrant couple Narootandeo and Gharbassi Brijnanan have been jointly charged with the Lalls on two of the charges but they were not present at yesterday’s arraignment and their attorney Khemraj Ramjattan informed the court that they are abroad.
Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry’s courtroom was filled to capacity during the arraignment as persons turned out in their numbers to show support for the Lalls. The authorities say the charges against the Lalls stem from a wider investigation, which was prompted by the sudden appearance of an unusual number of luxury vehicles. Glenn Lall, however, has maintained that he and his newspaper are being persecuted by the GRA as a result of their exposures of government wrongdoing and corruption.
Of the charges levelled against the Lalls, two counts were for having “knowingly dealt with goods, with intent to defraud the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) of duties” and two counts were for “knowingly being concerned in the fraudulent evasion of import duties of Customs.”
The first two offences were allegedly committed between June 18, 2013, and August 30, 2014, at Lot 110 Regent Street and at Lot 24 Saffon Street and involved two Lexus LX 570 vehicles, with licence plate numbers PRR 8399 and PRR 8398.
The charges state that between June 18, 2013, and August 30 of this year, at 24 Saffon Street, Georgetown, the Lalls knowingly dealt with goods, with intent to defraud the revenue of duties on the two vehicles.
The second two offences were allegedly committed by the Lalls jointly with the Brijnanans and others unknown between June 18, 2013 and September 21, 2013, at Lot 200-201 Camp Street, where they reportedly knowingly concerned, aided and abetted each other in the fraudulent evasion of the import duties of customs due and payable to the Revenue Authority on the two vehicles.
These charges allege that between June 18 and September 21, 2013, the Lalls, together with others unknown, at Lot 200-201 Camp Street, Georgetown, knowingly concerned, aided and abetted each other in the fraudulent evasion of import duties of customs due and payable to the revenue authority on the two vehicles.
Lall and his wife stood relaxed and composed in court and in gentle but firm tones they both pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The Auditor General’s office is looking into duty-free concessions granted to remigrants from 2010 to 2014. 2013 is the year currently being looked at. The Brijnanans became the focus of an investigation after it was reported that the Lalls were using two Lexus vehicles that they imported into the country under the remigrant scheme. As a result of the duty-free concessions granted to them, they were not required to pay the more than $100 million in duties on the luxury vehicles.
‘Very well-known business people’
The Lalls and Brijnanans were represented in court yesterday by Ramjattan, who informed the court that a barrage of lawyers, including Senior Counsel Rex McKay, Nigel Hughes, Joseph Harmon and Christopher Ram, would also be providing representation.
He made an application for his clients to be released on their own recognisance, to which GRA prosecutor Sandil Kissoon had no objections. Kissoon appears in association with attorney Mahendra Satram.
In his bail application, Ramjattan noted that his clients are “very well-known business people with ties to the country and they aren’t going anywhere.”
The charges were filed by the GRA on September 25. The Lalls received the summonses to attend court last Wednesday.
The prosecutor yesterday explained to the court that service of summons was effected on the Brijnanans at a known fixed local address, but it was discovered that they were not in the country.
The court was, however, informed by Ramjattan that the couple is expected back in Guyana on Friday October 24 and Kissoon said that they will be effectively served with summons when they return.
Both sides then agreed to an adjournment to November 24, when the matter will be called again before Magistrate Judy Latchman at Court Three for continuation and the arraignment of the Brijnanans.
The matters were called sharply at 9 am in a courtroom filled to capacity with a number of supporters of the Lalls, including activist Mark Benschop, trade unionist Lincoln Lewis and staff members of the Kaieteur News.
A sizable crowd had also converged outside the courtroom in the compound and on the streets outside the courts complex.
The crowd followed Glenn Lall as he left the courts complex, walking south along Avenue of the Republic. His wife left in a vehicle.
