Update: Anti-money laundering charges against fired GRA officers in Mohamed vehicle transfer

Mr Azruddin Mohamed.The Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) on Wednesday said several of its officers were dismissed and are to be charged with offences under the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) Act in connection with the transfer of a number of vehicles from city businessman, Azruddin Mohamed.

A senior GRA official late on Wednesday said, contrary to a news release issued earlier in the day, Mr Mohamed would not be charged.

The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) last year withdrew criminal charges against Mr Mohamed due to the fact that the US has requested his extradition to face trial for alleged financial crimes.

The GRA said it was working with the Guyana Police Force to invoke section 3(1)(a) of the AML/CFT Act and established procedures.

The provision states that: “A person commits the offence of money laundering if he knowingly or having reasonable grounds to believe that any property in whole or in part directly or indirectly represents any person’s proceeds of crime – converts or transfer property knowing or having reason to believe that property is the proceeds of crime, with the aim of concealing or disguising the illicit origin of that property.”

Moreover, the GRA added that section 3(4) of the said act explicitly states that “For the purposes of this Act, it is not necessary for any person to be convicted of a serious offence to prove that property is the proceeds of crime.”

The GRA said despite knowing that Mr. Mohamed has been sanctioned and indicted for, inter alia, alleged fraud, customs violations, and money laundering, and that restrictions have been imposed, certain employees of the Revenue Authority appeared to have acted in concert to transfer those motor vehicles from his name to other individuals, in a manner contrary to statute and established procedures.

Accordingly, the GRA said the “services of the said employees of the Authority, together with their Manager, have been terminated.”

Mr Mohamed was last Monday elected by opposition members of parliament, except A Partnership for National Unity’s 12 legislators who absented themselves from the vote, as Guyana’s Opposition Leader.

Mr Mohamed and his father have been sanctioned and indicted by the United States for alleged financial crimes linked to their gold business.

They return to court on February 5 for continuation of extradition committal proceedings.

The GRA again used the opportunity to repeat its call for the general public to report any illicit or unlawful activities on telephone numbers 592-225-5061, Ext. 2501-10 or 227-6060, Ext. 3201-12 or 3408.

The GRA promised that all information provided will be dealt with in strict confidentiality and such persons may be rewarded in accordance with the laws administered.