PRINCIPAL Magistrate, Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus, on Monday, released Atlantic Fuels Inc. Director, Dr Richard Van West-Charles, on $100,000 bail for an offence which alleges that the fuel company submitted a false or misleading invoice to the Guyana Energy Agency (GEA) in November 2020.

Dr Van West-Charles,72, denied the charge which stated that Atlantic Fuels Inc., on November 13, 2020, submitted Invoice #100 to the GEA, at 295 Quamina Street, South Cummingsburg, Georgetown, regarding a shipment of diesel claimed to have been purchased from Global Oil NV, knowing the same to be false or misleading.

The Guyana Chronicle understands that the invoice amounted to over US$200,000, which is equivalent to GYD 40,000,000. The magistrate released Van West-Charles on $100,000 bail and adjourned the case until August 16, 2021.

He was represented by attorney, Siand Dhurjon.
In January, AFI Director, Eugene Gilbert, was arraigned in court on a similar charge instituted against him by the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) which alleged that the fuel company made a false customs declaration in November 2020 on the same invoice.

He denied the charge and is currently out on $300,000 bail awaiting trial before Magistrate Isaacs-Marcus.

AFI was granted a licence in November 2015 by the GEA, months after the coalition government took office. Following investigation in November 2020, the GRA and GEA had seized and detained 631,184.9 litres of diesel fuel worth over $80M in resale value which was imported by AFI.

In March, AFI won a legal battle, and the two agencies were ordered by Chief Justice (ag) Roxane George S.C., to release the fuel and pay $12.8M to the fuel company for storage costs.
Additionally, AFI is currently before the court in another legal challenge against the GEA, over the termination of their licence.