–but APNU, AFC stand their ground

THE Government of Guyana is questioning the grounds on which the Joint Opposition is lending its “unwavering support” to the Kaieteur News, and said as much in a statement issued on Monday evening. Clearly aghast that the Daily’s publisher, Mr. Glenn Lall, had the temerity to ask the Guyanese public to support his “unlawful” activities, the government listed as being among charges against him: Tax evasion of millions of dollars; attempting to pervert the course of justice by blackmailing his opponents to drop the charges; manipulating the Georgetown Municipal Council for non-payment of rates and taxes; stealing electricity from the GPL; and maligning people and threatening to expose private and personal matters of his “perceived opponents” in order to have his unlawful activities dropped.

‘As much as Mr. Glen Lall may wish to confuse the public that this is an issue of press freedom, in fact, the matters for which he seeks support have nothing to do with the right to freedom of expression’ – Government of Guyana

CONFUSING THE ISSUE
According to the statement, “As much as Mr. Glen Lall may wish to confuse the public that this is an issue of press freedom, in fact, the matters for which he seeks support have nothing to do with the right to freedom of expression.
“The call has been publicly supported by the APNU (A Partnership for National Unity) and the AFC (Alliance for Change). Would Mr. Ramjattan and Mr. Granger now call on the Guyanese public to support Mr. Lall for the specific crimes he has been accused of?
“Aren’t the opposition parties condoning Mr. Lall’s illegal activities? Aren’t they saying to “john public” that it is alright to follow Mr. Lall’s lead and be accountable to no one?
“One would have thought that the opposition political parties would have been more judicious and distanced themselves from supporting such unlawful activities, especially as they have grand designs of being in government one day.”
According to the Government, the Opposition parties are “so blind in their hell-bent onslaught” against the current Administration, that the APNU and AFC are willing to support “tax evaders” and “maligners” in order to bring down the Government.
“One has to wonder if this is the kind government they will offer the Guyanese people? Once again the friends of the opposition are above and beyond the law merely because it is their friends,” the Government contends.

OPPOSITION’S STANCE
Despite the Government’s queries, both Opposition parties are maintaining their positions.
General-Secretary of APNU, Mr. Joseph Harmon, told the Guyana Chronicle yesterday, that as it relates to the question of “criminal behaviour”, this is a matter for the courts.
“We have made our position clear. Our view is that the GRA (Guyana Revenue Authority), which has said that it is investigating the paper, is being used to attack press freedom. This is how we see it; it fits into a pattern of muzzling the free press,” he said.
Meanwhile, leader of the AFC, Mr. Khemraj Ramjattan, contends that the charges of “unlawful activities” are baseless.
“They have charged him (Mr. Lall) on no evidence. I am surprised that this case did not go to the DPP for advice…this is what we call state terrorism, because the GRA is being used to target Mr. Lall,” he said.
He added that it is on this basis the AFC has expressed its support for the Kaieteur News and its publisher.

ISSUES
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. In a defence seen by this newspaper and filed by attorney-at-law, Mr Khemraj Ramjattan, the Lalls claim that they had a set off arrangement with the City Council, and they are not indebted for the taxes and that they repaid these taxes by publication of advertisements in the Kaieteur News. However, a source in the accounting department at City Hall denies any such arrangement. “There is certainly no document in writing to this effect,” the source disclosed.
Additionally, the Kaieteur News has been slapped with countless lawsuits and injunctions for libel.