Businessman Azruddin Mohamed was on Thursday granted bail in the sum of $500,000 after being slapped with two criminal charges related to fraudulent declarations made to the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA).
Appearing before Acting Chief Magistrate Faith McGusty at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court, Mohamed – dressed in a black suit and white shirt and maintaining a calm demeanour – pleaded not guilty to both charges.
The first charge alleges that on or about December 7, 2020, at Camp Street, Mohamed knowingly caused a false declaration to be made and subscribed to the GRA, significantly undervaluing the purchase price of a luxury vehicle – a Lamborghini Aventador – in an attempt to avoid paying the correct import taxes.
The second charge accuses Mohamed of knowingly being involved in the fraudulent evasion of taxes through the undervaluation of the Lamborghini Aventador, similarly declared to the GRA on the same date.
It is alleged that the Lamborghini was purchased for US$695,000 – in stark contrast to the US$76,000 figure declared by Mohamed.
Represented by Attorneys Siand Dhurjon, Damian Da Silva, and Darren Wade, Mohamed was described in court as a 39-year-old businessman and father of five, residing at Lot 17 Houston Estates. His lawyers argued that their client is a well-known figure with no prior convictions and no other pending matters before the courts.
Despite defence counsel’s request for Mohamed to be released on his own recognisance, the court refused and instead imposed bail – $250,000 on each charge. The matter will be called again on June 26 for submission and disclosure.
Under the applicable laws, a conviction on the charges could result in fines ranging from $10,000 to three times the value of the evaded taxes, and imprisonment for up to three years.
During the hearing, Mohamed’s lawyer noted difficulty in obtaining a manager’s cheque for the bail sum and requested permission for the payment to be made in cash – a request that was granted by the court.
Da Silva contended that the matter at hand is already the subject of civil proceedings between Mohamed and the GRA, asserting that all duties and taxes were paid to the satisfaction of the Authority in 2020. He said Mohamed had been in undisputed possession and enjoyment of the vehicles until March 2025, when he was informed of a fresh investigation by the GRA.
Special Prosecutor Sanjeev Datadin, leading a team of four prosecutors, told the court that Mohamed was given ample opportunity to respond to the GRA’s reassessment and that the subsequent charges were lawfully instituted. He maintained that the GRA had followed proper procedure, including issuing a letter providing 14 days for Mohamed to respond, before concluding a reassessed value for the vehicle in question.
Datadin emphasised that the GRA is empowered to act in cases of tax evasion, and that the charges are criminal in nature, with potentially significant financial implications. He submitted that while the prosecution did not object to bail in principle, it should be set at a level that reflects the seriousness of the alleged offences, which relate to an alleged fraud worth hundreds of millions of dollars.
The charges come in the wake of new evidence submitted to the High Court in a supplemental affidavit by the GRA, including a copy of the original purchase invoice for a Lamborghini Aventador.
The 78-page affidavit, filed last week, contains documentation obtained via the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) between the U.S. and Guyanese governments. It confirms that the Lamborghini was purchased for US$695,000 – in stark contrast to the US$76,000 figure declared by Mohamed.
GRA attorneys argue this was not a clerical error but a deliberate misrepresentation, amounting to tax evasion and fraud. The contradiction, they say, could even form the basis for a perjury charge, given Mohamed’s previous sworn declaration to the court.
Despite the mounting legal pressure, Mohamed recently scored a procedural victory in the Appeal Court, which upheld a lower court’s decision to bar the GRA from seizing his luxury vehicles pending the outcome of the ongoing case.
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