EXXONMOBIL (Guyana) and Ramps Logistics (Guyana) have vehemently denied accusations of submitting false declarations to the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA).
Mariska Jordan, a manager at Ramps Logistics, and Steve Gentry, who serves in a similar role at ExxonMobil, made appearances at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts on Friday.
Both ExxonMobil and Ramps Logistics, significant figures in Guyana’s flourishing oil sector, have denied allegations of submitting an inflated invoice to GRA for oil well equipment. The purported increase, from US$4.4 million to US$12.1 billion has sparked controversy.
At the court appearance before Senior Magistrate Leron Daly, both Jordan and Gentry pleaded not guilty to separate charges of making an untrue declaration to GRA, contrary to Section 217(1) (c) of the Customs Act.
According to the charge against them, on November, 16, 2023, at GRA’s Lot 200-201 Camp Street, Georgetown headquarters, they untruly declared a sum of US$12,192,103,923.91 for a quantity of oil well equipment and supplies listed on an invoice dated November 16, 2023.
They were granted self-bail and their next court appearance is slated for June 28, 2024, for reports/fixtures.
ExxonMobil was represented by a legal team led by Senior Counsel Edward Luckhoo, while Ramps Logistics was represented by Senior Counsel Sophia Chote from Trinidad and Tobago.
Attorney Jason Moore acted on behalf of GRA. During his address to the court, Moore revealed that the matter is still under investigation and assured that disclosed statements would be provided within the next three weeks.
Furthermore, the court has granted Jordan permission to leave Guyana, with the stipulation that she must attend all her scheduled court appearances.
The accusations against the companies arose after the GRA released a statement, pointing out inconsistencies in the customs declarations filed by Ramps Logistics for equipment it brought in for ExxonMobil.
In its statement, GRA stated that, on November 16, 2023, Ramps Logistics had submitted Customs declaration number GY410 2023 C2612 for a shipment of goods on behalf of ExxonMobil.
The declaration indicated the invoice value for the goods as US$12,192,103,923.91. Upon noticing the inflated value, GRA reported initiating a comprehensive investigation.
According to GRA, it was discovered that the actual cost of the imported items was far less than the stated amount of US$12,192,103,923.91, coming in at US$4,467,662.
Moreover, GRA said that the declaration misrepresented Ramps Logistics as the supplier while, in fact, Baker Hughes and Technip FMC were the real providers. Because of this, Ramps Logistics received a summons from GRA on January 23, 2024, asking them to explain why the company should not be held accountable for breaking Section 217 of the Customs Act.
Ramps Logistics responded to the GRA in a letter dated February 5, 2024, claiming that the disclosure was based on data obtained from ExxonMobil through the KABAL System of that business. In order to bolster their claims, Ramps Logistics, according to GRA, also supplied a demonstration showing how the information was taken out of ExxonMobil’s KABAL System.
The GRA also sent a letter to ExxonMobil, demanding that the company explain why legal proceedings should not be initiated against it. In response, ExxonMobil dissociated itself from the false declaration, attributing it to a “clerical error” in a customs declaration made by its former broker, Ramps Logistics. The US oil company clarified, “[We] did not compose the erroneous declaration, nor were we aware of this clerical error when the declaration was filed.”
Ten charges alleging untrue declarations were brought against Ramps Logistics by GRA in 2022. However, Magistrate Dylon Bess dismissed all of those allegations in April 2023. He upheld the company’s lawyers’ no-case submission in doing so.
Ramps Logistics was also fined $20 million by GRA in 2022 for breaking local customs laws.
According to reports, the business acts as an agent for vessel, Seacor Mixteca.
Ramps Logistics breached the Customs Act by neglecting to record the vessel leaving Guyana, according to GRA. As a result, rather than facing legal action, Ramps Logistics, whose parent business is based in Trinidad and Tobago, chose to pay the hefty fine.
