Irfaan Ali, Azruddin Mohamed at odds over GRA’s clearance of Lamborghini

Last Updated on Thursday, 29 May 2025, 22:59 by Writer

Even as lawyers for city businessman Azruddin Mohamed signalled that they would be moving to have the criminal summary charges concerning his alleged evasion of taxes on his Lamborghini car in 2020 scrapped because six months have passed, President Irfaan Ali on Thursday denied ever helping him to clear the vehicle.

Shortly after Mr Mohamed was released on GY$250,000 bail on two related charges of false declaration and tax evasion concerning the car, he alleged that the President facilitated the clearance of the vehicle and declared that he had solid proof.

Labelling the Guyanese leader “dishonourable”, Mr Mohamed said he was in possession of strong evidence that the Guyanese leader played an important role in clearing the vehicle. “I have proof where Irfaan Ali facilitated and assisted with the clearance of the Lamborghini. I am waiting for him to say that that is a lie and trust me any time he comes out and say that is a lie, I will show the whole country how dishonourable he is,” he said. “Let him come out and say he didn’t, I have the proof.”

But the President, in a brief interview with Demerara Waves Online News, denied ever instructing the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) or asking the Finance Minister to intercede in favour of Mr Mohamed. “The matter of taxes is completely in the hands of the GRA and the Commissioner General and at no time – and you can verify this or the GRA can verify this – did I instruct or direct the Commissioner General of the GRA on any matter with this taxpayer,” he told Demerara Waves Online News.

Mr Mohamed said he was referred to the President by Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo during a meeting with him at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre.

Weighing on the issue on Thursday, Mr Jagdeo said he had hoped that Mr Mohamed would present evidence of Dr Ali’s involvement to the Magistrates’ or High Court. “Let him release the evidence that President Ali told him to submit a false invoice to the GRA, a fake invoice to the GRA. Let him release it because no such thing happened,” said Mr Jagdeo who is also General Secretary of the governing People’s Progressive Party (PPP).

The President challenged anyone to prove that any invoice showing the true value of the vehicle was shared with him or the GRA. “I want any evidence that such an invoice was shared with me or the GRA,” he said. Asked whether he had asked any minister to intervene on his or Mr Mohamed’s behalf, Dr Ali said, “I have not spoken to the Minister of Finance on this matter at all.”

The President said GRA Commissioner General Godfrey Statia “advised me and made it very clear” that the vehicle was released on the condition that it was still being investigated to ascertain the true value of the vehicle.” Dr Ali said Mr Mohamed was aware of that procedure and “even signed” an understanding that that matter was under investigation.

Despite that, he said Mr Mohamed shared an invoice with an undervalued amount with the GRA.

The United States’ Department of Justice recently provided information to the Guyana government that the true value of the identical Lamborghini, which was sold to Mr Mohamed, was US$695,000.

Asked whether he had given Mr Mohamed any assurance that the matter was being addressed, the President said “I deal with many matters. Taxpayers will raise issues and they are passed to GRA.” “As I said, I am not the determining factor on any tax matter.” He said “there is no instruction or direction to the GRA.”

For his part, Nazar “Shell” Mohamed, who is Azruddin’s father, contended that his son was facing a “clear case of victimisation” because he wanted to enter politics. “Nobody came, nobody never say that revenue was cheated. Then, suddenly the government has decided because there was a lot of indication that they suspected that he may want to challenge them politically and that is what actually caused a lot of the problems,” he told reporters.

Chief Magistrate Faith McGusty granted Mr Mohamed GY$250,000 bail each on the charge of false customs declaration that the Lamborghini had cost US$75,000 instead of US$695,000, and fraudulently declaring that reduced value resulting in the evasion of GY$383 million in taxes. He pleaded not guilty both charges and was ordered to return to court on June 26. Ms McGusty said she would entertain submissions on the validity of the charges.

Outside the courtroom, after the bail was granted, Attorney-at-Law Darren Wade, for the accused, said the summary charges before a magistrate’s court “are dead, they are bad in law”.

Attorney-at-Law Damien Da Silva said the court has to decide whether the seven-year period of enforcement applies to civil or criminal proceedings. He said six months from the date of the charge seem to have expired so the defence lawyers have to advance arguments.

In the court, Mr Da Silva failed in his bid to secure self-bail for his client, despite citing facts that Mr Mohamed was a philanthropist, recently declared his bid for the presidency in the September 1 general and regional elections, voluntarily made himself available for serving of the summons, is a father and has no previous criminal court matters. He advanced those these premises to make the point that his client was not a flight risk and would appear in court for the cases.

He said the Lamborghini was imported in 2021, duly cleared, registered, and taxes paid all to the GRA’s satisfaction. He said he was later informed that an investigation was launched by the GRA and told that he under-declared the price of the Lamborghini.

As a result, according to the lawyer, Mr Mohamed was issued with a demand letter to pay additional taxes. In response, he said the accused asked for reasons but none was provided.

Instead, GRA moved ahead with their demand for the taxes owed. Mr Da Silva said that caused Mr Mohamed to institute High Court proceedings to find that those efforts by the tax agency were illegal.

“Now, this has all led to these criminal proceedings. It seems that the Revenue Authority is flexing its bureaucratic muscles,” Mr Da Silva also told the court.

Attorney-at-Law Sanjeev Datadin, representing the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), told the court that Mr Da Silva “left out” that the GRA had dispatched a letter to Mr Mohamed, informing him that a reassessment, “which GRA is entitled to by law”, was done and he was given 14 days to provide reasons that the new assessment should not be enforced or that would be done. “You are given an opportunity to have a new hearing,” Mr Datadin said. “It matters not what is said about Mr Mohamed. This is a criminal matter,” he said.

The GRA lawyer had asked the court to grant bail amounting to 10 percent of the taxes owed.