Last Updated on Saturday, 12 April 2025, 10:32 by Writer
The Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) has filed court papers, stating what it regards as the “actual sale price” for Azruddin Mohamed’s Lamborghini, but the city businessman is challenging the authenticity and legality of the tax agency’s evidence.
In an affidavit, GRA Deputy Commissioner (Law Enforcement and Investigation), Rajandra Singh said a search of the EPIC VIN database shows that the “actual sale price’ for Mr Mohamed’s 2020 Lamborghini Aventador SVJ Roadster is US$709,000.
Mr Mohamed, in his court papers challenging the GRA’s decision to impose GY$371,775,168 in additional duties, states that he had bought that Lamborghini for US$75,000 from a vendor in Texas, United States on October 7, 2020.
He says that he has already paid GRA the required import duties totalling GY$48,968,035 – more particularly GY$33,500,634 in excise taxes, GY$8,040,152 in value-added taxes and GY$7,426,249 in customs duties.
But the GRA Deputy Commissioner said the EPIC VIN history report shows that that vehicle was purchased from Irvine, California and not Rockwall, Texas as previously alleged by Mr Mohamed.
Further, he said the EPIC VIN report shows that the motor vehicle was never lost, reported stolen or salvaged and there is no history of electrical wiring or issues associated with the motor vehicle.
“The respondents further contend that the information contained in the EPIC VIN history report stands in stark contrast to the contents of the invoice supplied by the applicant, particularly with respect to the purchase price, location of sale and alleged wiring issues attached to the motor vehicle. These inconsistencies raised serious concerns as to the accuracy, authenticity and reliability of the documentation relied upon by the Applicant,” the GRA official said.
Mr Singh said such discrepancies are not trivial or incidental to the transaction but, instead suggest a deliberate attempt by Mr Mohamed to defraud GRA of the full duties and taxes payable on the Lamborghini.
In an affidavit in response, Mr Mohamed said the EPIC VIN report amounts to “documentary hearsay and ought not to be considered for it being inadmissible as evidence.” “This report is unsigned, unauthenticated, and hearsay in nature. The author is unknown, and there is no indication that the data therein is official, accurate, or admissible…It does not originate from any known statutory database, nor does it bear the imprimatur of any public authority,” he said.
Mr Mohamed also said the EPIC VIN report had been presented to him since 2020. He recalled telling GRA officers then that he did not know if the pictures that they had shown him were those of his car.
He also remembered the GRA officers querying how he could have bought the car in another US state though the documents showed that it was being sold in California for more than US$700,000.
Mr Mohamed said the date at the top left of the first page of the report is “intentionally cropped out” because the GRA had that document since 2020. He also observed that the top of the report exhibited obscurely reads: ‘Please be advised that the information contained in the NMVTIS Inquiry Data may have materially changed since this date.’ He said above that sentence the date on which the report was generated ought to be displayed, but that was intentionally obscured.
Further, he states that the value appear arbitrary and unexplained, with no reference to comparable vehicle condition, mileage, modifications, year of manufacture, or country-specific market differentials.
Mr Mohamed said his Lamborghini had a different appearance and had differing material particulars, in relation to the odometer reading and other particulars.
On the matter of the GRA revealing that the motor vehicle was never lost, reported stolen or salvaged and there is no history of electrical or wiring issues, he said it was uncertain whether or not such issues could have been reported, whether or not they were reported or whether they arose afterwards. “In any event it is denied that the report contains accurate information in relation to my Lamborghini in question.”
He added that the basis for the valuation as claimed by the GRA is also fundamentally contradicted by their very own sworn evidence as to how they arrived at this unknown ‘value’ upon which the taxes were assessed.
In another affidavit, GRA said it conducted comprehensive searches, including online market comparisons, for vehicles of identical or comparable make that point in the direction of alleged evasion of import charges. “These searches revealed multiple listings for such vehicles, each bearing values substantially higher than those declared by the applicant.
The extent of the discrepancy observed clearly indicated that the values declared by the applicant did not reflect the fair market value of the vehicles and were, in fact, grossly understated,” states GRA Deputy Commissioner Singh.
High Court Judge, Gino Persaud on Friday decided that “the interim injunctions are hereby made interlocutory and shall continue until the hearing and determination of the substantive actions” until the hearing and determination of the substantive matters brought by Mr Mohamed. The injunctions block the GRA from seizing the Lamborghini and other vehicles totalling GY$1.2 billion.
“Having considered all the Affidavits filed by the parties and considering the public interest I am of the considered view that the balance of justice lies with the Applicants,” the judge added.
The substantive matter was adjourned to May 15, 2025.
Discover more from Demerara Waves Online News- Guyana
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
