Dear Editor,
Reference is made to the Stabroek News article captioned `GRA issues arrest warrant for Roopan Ramotar and five others’ dated 23rd October, 2009.

We wish to clarify the following:

(i)    Sometime last May we were called by the GRA office informing of our late VAT submission – we immediately put together the information and submitted it the following day.

(ii)    Our taxes are up to date (i.e. as a contractor we presently have our tax compliance certificate that is renewed every three months and the present one is in force until 30th November, 2009)

What is surprising is that I have never been summoned to court nor informed in any way that this matter is pending, only to learn from the Stabroek News that an arrest warrant was issued.

However, despite that fact the headline seems biased since; why could it not have been Lloyd Rose and five others? Or Joyclyn Bentick and five others? Or why not, GRA issues arrest warrant for 6?

We wish to remind it is not what is said but the way it is said since these headlines can cause irreversible damage to my company.

Yours faithfully,
R. Ramotar
General Manager
Roopan Ramotar Investments
Editor’s note: Headlines are usually generated around the facts with the greatest news value. In this case arrest warrants were issued for six persons and among the six was a contractor who has been contracted to undertake significant public sector projects.