AG Sells Rover
Originally printed at
http://www.trinidadexpress.com/news/AG-Sells-Rover-231311271.htmlBy By Anika Gumbs and Denyse Renne CCN Senior Multimedia Investigative Journalists
November 9, 2013
The million dollar luxury Range Rover TDV Vogue registered to Attorney General Anand Ramlogan has a new owner.
Security forces have however been duped over the last 15 months into believing that PCR 2—one of the two luxury Range Rovers imported by Ramlogan—still belongs to him and have wrongly extended all courtesies to the new owner.
Investigations have revealed the vehicle was sold to businessman Dev Debideen last year.
Further probing unearthed that Debideen paid the “cost price” for the Range Rover TDV Vogue.
The transaction between Ramlogan and Debideen involved money being wired to a United States bank account, the Sunday Express has learned.
Checks on various websites show that the average cost for a customised fully-loaded Range Rover is between $1.4 to $1.6 million.
When the exemptions to which Ramlogan is entitled are applied, the vehicle is reduced to approximately $.8 million.
Records at the Licensing Authority, Ministry of Transport, Wrightson Road, Port of Spain, show that the Range Rover TDV Vogue has not been transferred and the vehicle is still registered to Ramlogan.
In fact, Licensing officials are questioning why Ramlogan has opted not to transfer the Range Rover TDV Vogue to Debideen.
Documents also show that Ramlogan is listed as the owner of a white Range Rover Autobiography registered as PCX 2.
Continuing Sunday Express investigations have revealed that earlier this year security personnel approached the black Range Rover TDV Vogue that was seen parked in the VIP area of Piarco International Airport and requested authorisation for use of the car park spot.
The VIP area is designated for the President, MPs, diplomats and other state officials and dignitaries.
The Sunday Express has learned that the insurance listed in the name of Ramlogan was shown to the security officers on duty causing them to back off.
Investigations have however revealed that at the time Ramlogan was not the owner of the Range Rover TDV Vogue.
The Sunday Express also learned that recently police officers at the Divali Nagar site in Chaguanas were also tricked into believing that the Range Rover TDV Vogue belonged to Ramlogan.
The police officers, the Sunday Express learned, approached the Range Rover TDV Vogue and upon looking at the licence plate allowed the driver and the vehicle access to the site without him paying the $15 parking fee.
The Sunday Express can prove that the Range Rover TDV Vogue and the Range Rover Autobiography were both customised to the likeness of Debideen by a relative.
Both Range Rovers were imported from London, England.
When the Sunday Express contacted Debideen last Wednesday asking whether he had purchased the Range Rover TDV Vogue from Ramlogan he remained silent.
Asked to confirm or deny information obtained by the Sunday Express that revealed the transaction for the Range Rover TDV Vogue was conducted abroad and why this was done, Debideen again did not respond to the question put to him.
Questioned further on whether both the Range Rover TDV Vogue and the Range Rover Autobiography were purchased specifically for him, Debideen said: “I have no comment.”
The telephone call was then disconnected.
Efforts to contact Debideen on Wednesday (6 p.m., 8.30 p.m.), Thursday (9 a.m.,10.30 a.m., 12.01 p.m., 2 p.m., 4.30 p.m., 6 p.m., 7 p.m., 10 p.m.), Friday (6 a.m., 8.30 a.m., 9.45 a.m., 11 a.m., 2.30 p.m., 4.30 p.m., 6 p.m.) and yesterday (6.45 a.m.) were unsuccessful.
All messages left were not returned.
Acting on a tip, the Sunday Express went to Debideen’s Fairways, Maraval home last Monday in an attempt to get a picture of the Range Rover TDV Vogue.
However, the vehicle was not on the premises.
Further investigation then led the Sunday Express to a parking lot along the Eastern Main Road opposite a business place, Daikin Air-conditioning Services, in Morvant. The Range Rover TDV Vogue was parked there.
Checks also revealed that Debideen is employed at Daikin Air-conditioning Services.
It was only last week that Ramlogan accused the Sunday Express of embarking on a “fishing expedition” when asked if he was the owner of the Range Rover TDV Vogue and questioned exactly on how the vehicle was granted an exemption in 2012—some two years after it was registered. Ramlogan along with other Members of Parliament are exempted from paying Motor Vehicle Tax, Value Added Tax (VAT) and Customs Duty on new or used vehicles imported every two years under the Salaries Review Commission (SRC).
However, the vehicle is not to be sold during the two-year period or half of the taxes are to be repaid to the State.
The certified copy for the Range Rover TDV Vogue show that the vehicle was registered on August 4, 2010.
The chassis number is listed as SALLMAM23AA322211.
However, the engine number for the Range Rover TDV Vogue is 0439516368DT, the same number listed on the certified copy of the white Range Rover Autobiography that is also listed in the name of Ramlogan.
The Range Rover Autobiography was registered on January 10, 2013.
Telephone calls to Transport Commissioner Ruben Cato to explain the discrepancy listed on the certified copies of both vehicles last Wednesday, Thursday and Friday all went unanswered.
Investigations also found that on September 7, 2012 the same day approval was granted for the exemption of the Range Rover TDV Vogue, documents were also submitted to Customs and Excise (C&E) declaring the importation of the Range Rover Autobiography.
The Customs declaration number is listed as A20021.
The C&E duties receipt number is listed as 25461 and dated September 10, 2012.
On the record of payment motor vehicle tax form, where Ramlogan is listed as the importer /consignee, motor vehicle tax in the sum of $368,113.13 is listed as being paid for the Range Rover Autobiography on September 10, 2012.
The chassis number for the Range Rover Autobiography is listed as SALLMAME3CA382809.
The document was signed by Mark Navarro, who is listed as the importer/authorised agent, and bears the C&E stamp dated September 26, 2012.
However, a second record of payment of motor vehicle form was prepared with the same information except that this time it indicated that motor vehicle tax was not applicable to the Range Rover Autobiography.
The second document was signed by Jeffery Gonzalez.
The Sunday Express has confirmed that the matter involving the contradictory information relating to the Range Rover TDV Vogue and Range Rover Autobiography is before the Integrity Commission.
In a letter dated July 26, 2013 People’s National Movement (PNM) senator Fitzgerald Hinds wrote to the Commission questioning the contradictory info relating to the two Range Rovers.
Chairman Ken Gordon could not be contacted for comment yesterday as telephone calls went unanswered.
Cooper: It is wrong
The transaction relating to the Range Rover TDV Vogue is not sitting well with head of the Public Service Reynold Cooper who has said such a move could have serious consequences if the vehicle is involved in an accident.
In a telephone interview with the Sunday Express last Tuesday Cooper said: “If the vehicle has strobe lights it must be taken off because they are given to the official. The heavy tint will also have to be removed because it is an ordinary citizen now using the vehicle. The heavy tint is only applicable to the official.”
He explained that if the vehicle of an official is involved in an accident the owner is liable.
“If the person driving the vehicle is involved in a vehicular accident where someone is knocked down or damage is caused to a property the police will be looking for the owner of the vehicle. It is unusual to sell someone a car and not do a transfer because the car is still registered in the name of the owner. Why would someone sell a car and keep it on their name? Really, what is the purpose of that. Something is wrong if someone has purchased a vehicle from the Commissioner of Police or the Attorney General and a transfer is not done,” Cooper said.
He said the buyer of the vehicle would not be able to take out insurance in their name. “You cannot insure a vehicle in the name of another person. Something is wrong if an official sold a vehicle and it is still in their name,” Cooper said.