Business Development Manager at Ramps Logistics, Mariska Jordan, and Steve Gentry from ExxonMobil (Guyana) were on Friday charged with allegedly inflating an invoice submitted to the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) for oil well equipment.
The purported increase was from US$4.4 million to a whopping US$12.1 billion.
Jordan and Gentry, who appeared on behalf of their respective companies, appeared before Senior Magistrate Leron Daly at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts where they pleaded not guilty to the charge when it was read to them separately.
They were then released on their “own recognisance” and the matter was adjourned until June 28, 2024.
During the hearing on Friday, ExxonMobil was represented by a team of lawyers headed by Senior Counsel Edward Luckhoo while Senior Counsel Sophia Chote from Trinidad and Tobago made an appearance for Ramp Logistics.
Attorney-at-Law, Jason Moore represented the GRA.
The GRA is contending that on November 16, 2023, Ramps Logistics submitted Customs declarations for a consignment of goods on behalf of ExxonMobil Guyana Limited.
On the referenced declaration, the invoice value for the goods was stated as USD$12,192,103,923.91.
Recognising that the invoice value was inflated, a detailed investigation was conducted and it was determined, inter alia, that the actual cost of the goods imported was USD$4,467,662 and not USD$12,192,103,923.91, as declared to the Revenue Authority.
