Lawsuit over Rolls Royce

Aleem Ali, director of Ansad Services has taken the Comptroller of Customs to court following the seizure of his car on December 3.

He claims to have received permission to remove the luxury car from the Customs and Excise Division lot and keep it at his premises.

Ali, who is represented by Jagdeo Singh, Kiel Tacklalsingh, Vivek Lakhan-Joseph and Ananda Rampersad, further claims the seizure of the car was illegal and procedurally improper.

He is seeking to have the High Court compel the Comptroller of Customs to release and return the car to him.

According to Ali, he imported the car on May 20, and was at the time negotiating with the Ministry of Finance to secure certain exemptions as the car was in transit when a new tax regime came into effect.

Ali said he wrote to the Assistant Comptroller of Customs seeking to have the car released to him and stored at his premises at Fanny Village, Point Fortin.

The lawsuit claims Ali’s request was based on safety concerns and the Comptroller of Customs granted the request.

Ali said he paid significant sums of money to compensate customs officers for the overtime required to inspect the vehicle at his Point Fortin premises.

He said when the customs officers entered his premises, they did so without his permission, and read to him a document which they claimed gave them the permission to enter the compound and take the vehicle.

According to the notice of seizure, Ali was charged with harbouring uncustomed goods.

Ali said he was never given a right to be heard either prior to or after the car was seized. Justice Devindra Rampersad has been assigned the case which is listed in the Port-of-Spain High Court