Businessman accuses GRA of victimization after latest smuggling arrest
Businessman Fazaad Hameed is refuting claims of the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) that he smuggled chicken into the country, while saying that he believes he is being targeted by the agency.
In a correspondence to this newspaper professing his innocence, Hameed questioned the motive behind his arrest, especially since no charges have been laid against him.
Hameed has a pending wrongful-arrest lawsuit that he filed against the GRA last July after being apprehended in a previous anti-smuggling operation at Mahaicony, East Coast Demerara, where un-customed goods were also confiscated.
The GRA on Tuesday announced that Law Enforcement and Investigation Division (LEID) officers of the Authority detained a vehicle containing a large quantity of chicken and alcohol during an early morning operation last week Thursday.
The items were said to have been found stashed in a truck at Dazzel Housing Scheme, East Coast Demerara, where six persons, including Hameed, were spotted.
The Revenue Authority said that while five of those persons escaped, its officers were able to apprehend Hameed, against whom it said it has initiated court proceedings.
While confirming that he was arrested by LEID officers last week, Hameed said “I am innocent of any charges against me,” but has in the same vein said that he is yet to be charged for anything related to the smuggling.
In his missive to this newspaper, he accused the GRA officers of firing several shots in his direction, handcuffing and placing him in front of a truck where, according to him, “numerous photos” of him were taken.
Stating that he is presently in the process of obtaining legal advice, Hameed did not want to say anything further on the matter.
However, questioning the motive behind the GRA’s release to the press, the businessman outlined that it was disseminated six days after his arrest and three days after he was released on bail “without charge.”
More importantly, however, he said the story broke on the day the matter he filed against the GRA was fixed for hearing before the Chief Justice.
He said that following his arrest on February 20th, he was detained for some 71 hours, while noting again that he was released on bail without charge.
Stating the he has been prejudiced and feels targeted by the Revenue Authority, Hameed said that following his arrest last July, over which he instituted legal proceedings, two weeks later he was charged by the GRA for not filing income tax returns.
He claimed he knows of no one who has ever been charged for this failure, save for one other person whom he said has also sued the GRA for wrongful arrest.
According to Hameed, as far as he is aware, thousands of persons do not file income tax returns.
He charged that every day hundreds of persons visit the GRA to conduct business and to obtain compliances of all sorts and as far as he is aware, the agency would require that those individual pay seven years’ back taxes. “The GRA does not charge these persons and place them before the Court,” Hameed said, before adding, “If I am charged with not filing income tax returns, then everyone else has to be charged.”
“It is a requirement of basic fairness,” he further declared.
He said that within a month of suing the GRA last year, he was charged by the revenue authority with having un-customed goods, but said that since those proceedings are before the Magistrate’s Court, he will also refrain from any further comment on that matter directly.
“I feel as if I am targeted and victimized by the GRA simply because I chose to file legal proceedings against them. I believe the GRA is unnecessarily harassing citizens, the GRA should facilitate citizens working with them and not target them if they make a complaint against the GRA in court,” Hameed said.
The Revenue Authority in its release on Tuesday encouraged members of the public to come forward with information about persons and businesses involved in, aiding or abetting the illegal activity of smuggling.
It said that such information can be reported to its LEID hotline on 227-6060 ext 3204-12.