Guyanese pilot Khamraj Lall was yesterday released on a US$100,000 bond following an appearance in a court in Puerto Rico, where he was held just over a week ago after over US$620,000 in cash was found stashed in his private jet during a stop to refuel en route to Guyana.
Defence attorney Rafael Castro Lang, who is representing Lall, confirmed to the Miami Herald that a federal court judge approved the bond and a grand jury will decide whether to indict him. Lall, 47, the Chief Executive Officer of Exec Jet Club, the Herald report said, will be allowed to leave Puerto Rico and return home to Ringwood, New Jersey under the terms of the bond.
Lall was taken into custody on November 22 on suspicion of intent to evade currency reporting after failing to declare the cash during his stopover.
Meanwhile, his lawyer also filed a motion to restrict access to the character letters and real estate appraisals made to the court in support of granting bail.
“…the undersigned respectfully requests that the document be accepted by the Court for filing with the level of restriction of “Selected Parties,” limiting viewing to the attorney filing the document, the United States, Probation Office and the Court,” the motion said.
Lang said that his client is filing the motion with the requested level of restriction because it is necessary to protect the confidentiality of the information detailed in the documents and exhibits.
He stated too that the protection of the information in the motion outweighs the presumption of public access. “It is respectfully requested from the Hon. Court that it accept and file the Motion Notifying Character Letters and Real Estate Appraisal in Support of Granting Bail under the requested restriction level and that an order issue directing that the document remain under such restriction level until further order by the Court,” the attorney added.
An order regarding the motion to restrict was later granted and signed by US Magistrate Judge Marcos E. Lopez. Stabroek News understands that the United States’ Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has launched an investigation to determine if Lall’s US-registered businesses are in violation of any tax laws.
The opposition last week called on the government to conduct a thorough investigation into Lall’s operations here, saying that it may reveal breaches including tax evasion.
President Donald Ramotar has been linked to Lall after using his private jet service on three occasions for state visits. The government last week admitted that Ramotar has used the service for travel to neighbouring Brazil and two other destinations and paid for the charter every time, although the business was not registered as a charter.
According to court documents seen by Stabroek News, the charge against Lall reads that he knowingly concealed more than US$10,000 in currency; to wit over US$600,000 and other monetary instruments in a plastic trash bag covered with a blanket under an exit seat of the plane and in an article of luggage, and attempted to transport and transfer such currency and monetary instruments from San Juan, Puerto Rico, a place within the US, to Guyana.
Under US law, amounts over US$10,000 must be declared. It is alleged that on November 22, at 6pm, Lall and two other persons arrived at Luis Munoz International Airport, San Juan, on a private aircraft. He was the co-pilot of the aircraft and the other persons were the pilot and Lall’s father. When approached by customs officials, the occupants informed that they had stopped for refueling purposes and would be departing immediately for Guyana. However, it was explained that an outbound inspection of the aircraft would be performed.
The trio was told of the currency reporting requirements and Lall and his father declared US$5,000 and the pilot declared US$60.
However, while searching the aircraft with the assistance of a sniffer dog, officials found that there were some discrepancies regarding the maintenance with the aircraft, in violation of aviation regulations, and the aircraft was grounded. Lall then informed that he would have flown in his mechanic to take care of the mechanical issues and the following day he informed officials that the problems had been rectified and the aircraft could be re-inspected.
Before the search continued, Lall varied his declaration. He declared US$7,000, his father US$5,000 and the pilot US$60. However, as officials continued the search, a sniffer dog alerted them to the presence of money and a further inspection revealed a bundle of currency, wrapped in plastic bags and a blanket under the exit row seat.
Approached, Lall immediately claimed ownership of the money and said that it was approximately US$150,000 which constituted proceeds from his business. He said that he had forgotten he had the money in the plane and gave such reason for not declaring it. Officials continued to search the aircraft and later discovered a black suitcase inside a compartment next to the engines which contained several black garbage bags containing bundles of currency totaling US$470,000. Lall again accepted responsibility and ownership for the money and informed that his pilot and his father had nothing to with the monies and that all belonged to him.
He was then arrested and charged. Following his arrest, Stabroek News learnt that the aircraft that the money was discovered in was registered in the United States but was based here in a private hangar at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA), Timehri, owned by Lall. Lall was given a go ahead by Cabinet to build the structure in 2012 after he had submitted a proposal in which he stated that there were plans to have an air ambulance service, among others.
