Why would the GRA seek to execute a seizure when it knew that the matter was sub judice?
Apr 07, 2025
Dear Editor,
I write with deep concern over a troubling report carried by Demerara Waves regarding the Guyana Revenue Authority’s (GRA) recent actions against the Mohamed family.
According to that report, an application was made on Wednesday last for an injunction to prevent the GRA from seizing a number of vehicles belonging to the Mohameds. The GRA was informed of this legal development and, according to the report, was said to have acknowledged being so informed.
Yet, in a move that raises serious questions about both propriety and legality, the GRA reportedly turned up at the Mohameds’ premises even before the court had an opportunity to hear and determine the injunction application. The attempted seizure of the vehicles, had it been successful, would have rendered the court application moot. This, in essence, would be tantamount to frustrating the due process of the law—an act that can only be described as a blatant disregard for the authority of the judiciary.
The GRA is not an ordinary entity. It is an agency of the State vested with significant power. With that power must come a corresponding measure of restraint, respect for the law, and fidelity to fair procedure. What we witnessed last Saturday, however, appears instead to be a calculated effort to circumvent judicial oversight. Such conduct is not merely overzealous—it is unethical, highhanded, and possibly unlawful. We must ask the pressing question: Why would the GRA seek to execute a seizure when it knew that the matter was sub judice? Who or what emboldened this agency to act in a manner that seems designed to make a mockery of the court? Was this a reckless misstep by rogue elements within the GRA, or was there a hidden hand guiding the operation—perhaps someone fond of proclaiming that “the law is not an ass,” yet seemingly indifferent to its processes?
When an agency charged with upholding the law chooses to act above it, then we must worry not just for the Mohameds but for all citizens. The rule of law must apply equally to the citizen and to the State. It is high time the GRA be reminded of this.
Yours faithfully,
Rupnauth Hardyal
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