– questions KN’s claims of attack on press freedom, Opposition support

THE charge by Kaieteur News that there is an attack on press freedom afoot, following allegations of tax evasion by its publisher, Glenn Lall, and its call on the public for support, have been noted by the ruling People’s Progressive Party (PPP).And the PPP contends that these two positions are “interesting” developments emanating from the reports in the local daily.
“The People’s Progressive Party is keenly following the issue regarding the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) and the publisher of the Kaieteur News, Mr. Glenn Lall….we await the outcome of current investigations into alleged tax evasion and misuse of benefits for re-migrants,” the party said in a statement issued yesterday.

PRESS FREEDOM
On the issue of press freedom, the PPP questioned the correlation between allegations of tax evasion and talk of an attack on press freedom.
“The question must be asked of the Kaieteur News; how does an issue of alleged tax evasion and abuse of some benefits of the re-migrant scheme be deemed an attack on freedom of expression?” the party said.
The ruling party contends that there seems to be an attempt to purposely divert attention from the real issues. “(They) are implying that it’s about the Government wanting to close the entity,” the party said.
According to the PPP, the Kaieteur News needs to be reminded that it was the PPP-led Government that restored freedom of expression to this country after decades of oppression imposed by the dictatorial People’s National Congress (PNC) regime.
The party said, “During that oppressive reign many were jailed and some lost their lives in the struggle to freely express themselves. Then there were only two daily newspapers, three private television stations and the government TV and radio channels.
“Today, there are four established daily newspapers, over fifteen private television stations, some ten private radio stations and numerous online news entities, most of them owned privately. Journalists, columnists and commentators, on a daily basis, freely express themselves without any semblance of fear which permeated the landscape under the PNC dictatorship.”
The ruling party stressed that freedom of expression has now become engrained in our society and is testimony to the tenets of democracy that prevails.
“Guyanese must be cognizant of these attempts by the Kaieteur News to deceive and not allow themselves to be hoodwinked in the process. The record of the PPP and the Government it leads in defence of press freedom and freedom of expression is unmatched in our nation,” it said.

CALL FOR SUPPORT
On the issue of a public call for support, the PPP stated that the grounds on which the calls for support are based are questionable.
The Kaieteur News, in a Page One comment titled, ‘Will you stand by us’, last week appealed to the public for solidarity, in the face of what it alleges is a ploy by people in high places to destroy its operations.
“We call on all political parties, trade unions, the Guyana Bar Association, the religious community, the Guyana Press Association, other civil society groupings and you the citizens to rally by the side of Kaieteur News,” the local daily said.
Simultaneously, the joint opposition, A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance For Change (AFC), also indicated their willingness to support the paper.
General-Secretary of APNU, Mr. Joseph Harmon, was quoted in an edition of the Kaieteur News as saying, “We want to put the Government and Sattaur on notice that we will not sit idly by and watch them violate the rights of citizens,” adding that the newspaper has the Coalition’s “unwavering” support in the fight for democracy against the powers-that-be.
The AFC, in a separate statement, has also expressed similar sentiments. “The AFC executive meeting on Saturday also expressed solidarity with Kaieteur News, which is being subjected to attempts to muzzle the free press.”
AFC Executive Members, Mr. Moses Nagamootoo, Mr. Nigel Hughes and its leader, Mr. Khemraj Ramjattan, have been the most vocal on this issue.
The PPP in commenting on the series of events since the paper made its call said, “We believe that this is clearly a desperate effort by the newspaper to evoke sympathy. What is even more astonishing is the automatic show of support by the Opposition regarding the newspaper’s fabrication.”
According to the ruling party, the Opposition parties’ stance is not surprising, given the Kaieteur News’ role in “propagating and defending” the Opposition.
“Is the Opposition saying that it supports the evasion of taxes by an individual or entity as alleged? If that’s the case, then it’s another demonstration by the Opposition condoning illegalities,” the PPP questioned.
The party made it clear that the Opposition, in supporting the local daily, has once again demonstrated its engrained propensity for such actions and to remain hypocritical.
“Many Guyanese, including Government and Party officials, have in the past condemned the newspaper for its unethical and unprofessional journalism which is being used to assassinate and smear peoples’ characters. Our Party must ask if this is what the Opposition supports….the PPP remains cognizant of the prevailing freedom of expression within our country and, as such, respects the Opposition’s right to support anything it chooses including alleged unlawful activities,” the PPP concluded.

ALLEGATIONS OF WRONGDOING
Recently, the publisher of the Kaieteur News has been fingered in tax evasion schemes.
In early September, Lall was alleged to have evaded taxes for over a decade now. Reports are that Mr. Lall, the owner of the Guyana National Media Publishing Company, is being investigated by the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) for the importation of printing ink packaged as a CARICOM (Caribbean Community) product, which enjoys duty free concessions under the Revised Treaty of Chaguramas. Upon closer inspection, however, it was allegedly found that the origin of the inks was from overseas; and therefore in breach of the Treaty. As it relates to the progress of the investigation of the alleged tax evasion, the Guyana Chronicle has been given to understand that the necessary verification requests are still with the relevant authorities in Trinidad and Tobago.
Prior to the tax evasion allegation, Mr. Lall was fingered in an alleged remigrant duty-free concession scam.
Six criminal charges have altogether been since filed against Lall; his wife, Bhena; and Narootandeo and Gharbassi Brijnanan, who have all been implicated in the scam. The charges follow the seizure of two vehicles allegedly at the centre of a duty-free scam. The two vehicles in question, PRR 8398 and PRR 8399, were handed over to GRA and impounded at the Authority’s warehouse at the end of August, after an hours-long standoff between GRA officials and the Brijnanans’ son, Navin Sankar, a high-ranking GRA employee. An investigation was then launched to ensure that procedures and policy, as well as the provisions of the law were adhered to. The criminal charges, this newspaper understands, stem from that investigation.
Also, in mid-September, both Lall and his wife were sued by Acting Town Clerk of the Mayor and City Council, Ms. Carol Sooba, for the sum of $5,660,142.00 and $60,142 as unpaid rates and taxes for the years 2004 to 2013 in relation to their property at 24 Saffon Street. The case is currently being heard at the Georgetown Magistrates Court.
Kaieteur News’ claim of a sinister plot to destroy it, as well as its call for solidarity from the Guyanese public, is said to be linked, largely, to the GRA’s move to investigate the daily’s operations, via an impending audit. However, Guyana’s tax laws regulating the powers of the Authority are clear, and the GRA has repeatedly said its investigations are grounded on firm bases and not aimed at “destroying” the paper.