The Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) today announced the sale of a 40-ft container of high-value liquor.
In a notice appearing in the Kaieteur News, the GRA listed the items up for sale as:
*739 cases of Absolut Vodka (12×1 lt)
*49 cases of Johnnie Walker Black (12×1 lt)
*25 cases of Johnnie Walker Double Black (12×1 lt)
*24 cases of Hennessy (12×750 ml)
*50 cases of Coffee Patron (6×750 ml)
*100 cases of Jagermeister SE (6×1 lt)
*99 cases of Tequila (12×750 ml)
The sale is being done in accordance with Section 225 of the Customs Act and in the absence of a claim, the GRA notice said. It offered no information on who the consignee might have been. Bids close on Wednesday, November 4 at 12 noon. Bids have to be submitted at GRA’s Headquarters, 200-201 Camp Street, Georgetown.
The notice said that prospective bidders should be free of all tax liabilities and also present their personal identification. The container is being sold on an “As is, where is basis” and there will be no inspection of the items prior to sale. Payment must be by cash or manager’s cheque.
In May, the GRA reported the disappearance of approximately $6M worth of foreign liquor from its Eccles Warehouse Facility.
The liquor was discovered missing on May 13 but the GRA only disclosed this on May 28, more than two weeks later.
In a statement, it said that “This discovery was made by officers of the Agency’s Law Enforcement and Investigation Division (LEID) during a routine inventory exercise, which led to the immediate launching of an investigation on May 13, 2015.
“As a result of the discovery, surveillance footage was reviewed and has revealed that officers of the security firm contracted to provide twenty four hours security to the said Warehouse were very much involved in the reprehensible act. In light of this the GRA has since provided copies of the recording to the management of the private security firm and has indicated to them that they are being held culpable”, the statement said.
It appears that the matter is being settled quietly as no charges have been brought by the GRA.
