GRA serves PPP MPs with property tax letters, Jagdeo claims victimisation

Last Updated on Thursday, 15 December 2016, 15:11 by Derwayne Wills

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo is claiming victimisation by the state’s revenue collecting agency after property tax letters were recently served to five PPP parliamentarians during the 2017 budget debate season.

Jagdeo said the MPs served letters included Joseph Hamilton, Indra Chanderpal, Dr Frank Anthony, and Bishop Juan Edghill.

The Opposition Leader was convinced the government was using the agency to victimise his colleagues.

“They think by threatening investigations and locking up people that they will intimidate you,” Jagdeo told the press corps today, “in fact, if they use their own standards half of this Cabinet will be in jail. This is diversionary.”

When asked if it is unreasonable for GRA to serve property tax default letters on public office holders, Jagdeo responded saying it is the timing that is inappropriate.

“And then it comes on the heel of frequent promises,” Jagdeo said hinting to threats by government officials to prosecute for questionable practices under the previous PPP administrations.

The Opposition Leader added that he was told by some of his colleague MPs that “they don’t owe a cent in taxes.”

Although asked, Jagdeo did not indicate how much monies was declared owed by the MPs to GRA, nor which MPs were of the opinion that they did not owe taxes to the tax collecting agency.