THE Guyana Chronicle’s disclosure that the publisher of Kaieteur News, Glenn Lall, may yet again be at the centre of an alleged duty-free infringement, has resulted in a response in the local daily, which charges that the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) is on a “witch hunt” intended to silence the newspaper.

The Kaieteur News’ article headlined ‘Cover-up of duty free concessions… GRA pursues witch-hunt against Glenn Lall – Publisher says Sattaur displays an inability to manage the agency in a transparent manner’, states that: “The Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) is continuing its witch-hunt against Kaieteur News to silence the newspaper in its investigations.
“…the offence by GRA started after questions were asked about the appropriateness of Sattaur’s three children working at the agency. It would also follow questions posed to Sattaur over details about the duty free concessions granted to Bai Shan Lin, a Chinese logging company that is under fire for its questionable agreements with Government.”

However, speaking on the condition of anonymity, a current GRA staffer, who has provided the leaks on the two major tax scams, involving Lall, to this newspaper, stated that all of Mr. Sattuar’s children are in receipt of the entitlement of mortgage interest relief from the GRA, as a result of the Government’s introduction of the relief to qualify as first time home owners from a rebate in part payment of the interest on the mortgage payment.
“Mr. Lall, having exposed the children’s income in his newspaper, would appear now to be oblivious of the fact that they are substantial income earners in their own right. The three children of whom the publisher of the newspaper would appear to be maliciously and unwarrantedly targeting since over two months ago can stand up to scrutiny,” the GRA source said.
As such, the GRA staffer added that the same questions are now being asked of this alleged “tax thief.”
“Questions may well be asked of him whether he has not also been cheating on his company’s corporate taxes in order to fund the two luxury vehicles costing in excess of $18M each and which were recently seized, in addition to funding the massive investment that his daughter would appear to be engaged in her name in setting up the candy manufacturing business bearing her name and that of the newspaper,” the senior GRA source added.
Additionally, as it relates to the investigation of the alleged tax evasion, the Guyana Chronicle was informed that the necessary verification requests are still with the relevant authorities in Trinidad and Tobago.
Only days after being fingered in an alleged remigrant duty-free concession scam, Lall has allegedly evaded taxes, in that his company has, for over a decade now, been importing printing ink and passed them off as products of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), so as to enjoy duty-free concessions for those importations.