GRA unearths forged driver’s licence, compliance and registration racket

Jul 06, 2018 News

The Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) has uncovered a racket involving the use of forged driver’s licences, certificates of compliance and registrations. At the centre of this scam were some of its trusted officers.
GRA’s Commissioner General, Godfrey Statia, told this newspaper yesterday that several officers who were found to be part of the racket have been sent home while others are willingly giving evidence.
Statia was unable to say how long the scam has been taking place but promised that he would be looking into the issue. He declined to comment further on the matter.
In the meantime, other well placed sources in the revenue authority were able to shed further light on the matter.
Officials told Kaieteur News yesterday, that the GRA individuals involved were able to get their hands on a “highly sophisticated photocopying machines.”
One senior GRA officer said, “It is a set of guys who have been utilizing access to GRA records and using a powerful photocopying machine. You would find it very difficult to tell the difference between the fake and the real driver’s licence.”
GRA officials also revealed that the officers were producing the fake documents in collusion with banking officers.
One Customs officer said, “They were producing the fake certificates of compliance and registration in collusion with officers at banks to get loans… They would get the GRA officers to doctor the records to say Tom Jones is driving a high-end vehicle like a Mercedes Benz and then take it into the bank.
“The banking officers who used to go and do the inspection of the vehicle got a raise and then they would tell the banks, ‘Yes, it is a Benz.’ But it is actually a Morris Oxford. So the bank ended up giving out a set of money and when the people were not paying and they go to seize the vehicle, they see is a li’l ole thing. So that is what was happening.”
Kaieteur News understands that it was since last year that the banking sector was notified of these dishonest activities. Even though the implicated banking officials were dismissed, it did not result in the death of the racket.
GRA found that the scam was alive and well up to a few days ago. This newspaper understands that an investigation into the scam has been launched.
In a statement yesterday, the Authority sought to remind taxpayers that all financial transactions should be conducted by the cashiers and an official GRA receipt should be issued for all monies paid. The revenue authority said it will continue to work to improve its systems to minimize illegal activity and ensure that integrity and transparency are the hallmark of the agency.