THE local appellate court yesterday ordered businessman Ram Nagrani into custody after he failed to pay the balance of a $19.8-million fine for trying to evade import duties on 1.2 million litres of coconut oil he imported from Costa Rica in 1994.

Nagrani was given the option of paying the money or serving a two-year jail term in February this year when he challenged the original $39-million fine that Resident Magistrate Owen Parkins imposed on him and his company, NR and N Limited.

The magistrate had convicted them both in the Tax Court three years ago, but Nagrani had wanted more time to pay the money.

However, the local appellate court, which had already extended the first May 1 deadline, refused to give Nagrani any more time to pay the balance of $5.8 million.

Nagrani paid $10 million and then $4 million between February and May after the court heard his appeal against Parkins’ decision and halved the fine.

In May, the local Appeal Court gave him six months to come up with the rest of the money. However, yesterday, when he asked to be given until the end of the year, the court refused.