“No one is above the law” – GRA; Bai-Shan-Lin faced same fate in 2016 for unpaid taxes

Despite claims of political persecution by the Mohamed family, the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) has reaffirmed its stance that no individual or company is above the law when it comes to paying taxes.

“Seizure and possession of vehicles for taxes and breaches to remigrant and duty-free agreements are nothing new. Matter of fact, hundreds (100’s) of such cases are carried out yearly when there are breaches by re-migrants, public servants, breaches to Investment Agreements and even when Tax Exempt Agencies and Diplomats do not abide by the agreements by which such vehicles are entered free of or subject to reduced duty,” GRA said in a statement on Saturday after it was blocked by a temporary court order from seizing or detaining any of the Mohamed’s luxury vehicles over some $1.2 billion in unpaid taxes.

It went onto say, “This particular activity results in hundreds of millions of dollars in tax collections on an annual basis. The GRA administers the laws in a fair and consistent manner, regardless of who the taxpayer may be.”

This assertion was underscored by parallels drawn to a 2016 enforcement action in which GRA officers seized two luxury vehicles belonging to Chinese logging giant Bai-Shan-Lin over millions of dollars in unpaid import taxes. The revenue agency had reportedly made multiple attempts over several months to have the company settle its tax liabilities, but those efforts were ignored.

Media reports at the time had states that the GRA’s seizure followed persistent non-compliance from Bai-Shan-Lin, despite clear notices and opportunities for resolution. The incident drew additional attention when reports surfaced that a senior APNU/AFC government official had previously intervened to halt the seizure during an operation.

Saturday’s attempt by GRA law enforcement officers and an alleged paid mob at the Houston, East Bank Demerara property of United States sanctioned businessman Azruddin Mohamed follows a month-long standoff over more than $1.2 billion in unpaid taxes linked to six high-end vehicles.

The GRA has maintained that the seizure efforts were lawful and came only after repeated notices and opportunities for the Mohameds to comply. Officers were forced to retreat during Saturday’s attempted operation due to resistance from a crowd reportedly incited by Mohamed himself, prompting the need for police intervention.

The agency has since emphasized that while it remains committed to enforcing tax laws without fear or favour, it will not jeopardize public safety in the execution of its duties.

The echo of the Bai-Shan-Lin case serves as a reminder that the GRA has previously faced resistance and continues to push forward with its mandate.