Azruddin Mohamed, a businessman sanctioned by the United States, has been granted bail set at $500,000 following his plea of not guilty to charges of customs fraud and tax evasion concerning a luxury Lamborghini imported in 2020.
During his court appearance on Thursday before Acting Chief Magistrate Faith McGusty at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court, it was revealed that the charges arise from accusations that he misrepresented the purchase price of a Lamborghini Roadster SVJ as US$75,300, while the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) asserts the actual value to be US$695,000.
The alleged false declaration, made on December 7, 2020, led to an estimated tax evasion amounting to GYD $383,383,345. Mohamed received $250,000 bail on each charge, and the case is scheduled for a hearing on June 26, 2025.
Defending Mohamed, attorneys Damian Da Silva, Siand Dhurjon, and Darren Wade claimed the timing of the charges raised questions, considering the Lamborghini has been in use since 2020, and the GRA only took action in March 2025. They characterized the GRA’s actions as an overreach, emphasizing that Mohamed is not a flight risk due to his public profile and candidacy in upcoming elections.
Countering this, GRA attorney Sanjeev Datadin asserted that the authority acted within its rights after providing Mohamed a chance to respond to the reassessment.
The GRA has also initiated legal action against Mohamed and his family, alleging that they significantly undervalued multiple luxury vehicles when imported, with a demand for an additional $1.2 billion in owed taxes. Meanwhile, an existing injunction issued by Justice Gino Persaud prevents the GRA from seizing these vehicles while the case is underway.
Source: guyanachronicle.com
