Polygraph hypocrisy

Mar 11, 2009 Features / Columnists, Freddie Kissoon

In the Sunday issue of the Kaieteur News, there appeared some words of Mr. Khurshid Sattaur, the head of the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) that should cause every citizen to demand that he take the lie detector test. The issue was the administering of the polygraph to his subordinates. When asked by the reporter why he has not taken the examination as yet, Mr. Sattaur gave a deplorable answer that raises one’s suspicion. First, he became self-righteous and proclaimed that he “worked very hard to ensure a clean image and an untainted image.”
His second response was even more pathetic. He fell back on the excuse that his role in the GRA is a statutory one. What has that got to do with taking the test? Let us evaluate the first response. Every person in this world, including people caught red-handed in the act of committing a crime, tells us that they have integrity. We reserve the right to accept or reject. It is not for Mr. Sattaur to beat his own drum. What is expected is the moral obligation of him to set the example by taking the test, the questions of which should be drafted by a non-partisan group from sitting Parliamentarians.
In yesterday’s edition of this newspaper, he announces his willingness to undergo a polygraph. That is not sufficient. All eyes are on the upper leadership of the GRA. Mr. Sattaur must not hide behind jejune excuses such as “I am not a corrupt person.” “I am a statutory officer,” I am willing to take the test.” Mr. Sattaur MUST TAKE THE TEST as an example of leadership. He has the ethical obligation to lead by example. Why should second and third level GRA employees be subjected to the drama and not the top of the hierarchy?
Mr. Sattaur is either being cynical or myopic when he said he worked hard to ensure a clean image or he doesn’t live in Guyana. I once addressed a symposium on human rights at Critchlow Labour College and I told the audience that people think that it is the police and security officials that have possession of vital, sensitive, information but this is not really true. Media personnel are in receipt of frightening information in this country that can bring down high officials. We cannot write or broadcast it because the media houses would not allow it. We cannot publicize it because we fear for our lives. So what is the point?
We in the media have heard stories about the GRA involving from top to bottom. I have not heard about any innocent person in the upper echelons of the GRA. The tales we hear out there may be totally untrue and many are, but the fact is that there is a perception among Guyanese people that in the GRA, the police force, and the Government of Guyana, there is not even one single angel.
Mr. Sattaur can do a lot for the image of his organization by taking the polygraph. More importantly, the employees who have so far refused to submit to the examination should go beyond the distasteful nature of the questions and insist that Mr. Sattaur submit to the test. The Parliamentary Opposition must demand that one of the questions to Mr. Sattaur be; “Have you ever received direction or took direction from higher authorities in government knowing that the legal autonomy of the GRA precludes you from so doing?”
Mr. Jagdeo seems to be backing down from the lie detector ubiquity, but as usual with Mr. Jagdeo, he finds himself in a cul-de-sac of mediocrity. The President’s pontification on the size of an organization is a scientific non-starter. The numbers in an organization have no relevance when you are trying to ascertain through the polygraph if they are involved in nefarious practices. The slowing down in the application of the lie detection process may be due to the anger and controversy that it has generated and with the inescapable inevitability – the society will want to know why senior police officers and army personnel are not subject to the examination too.
The polygraph’s continued use and the immoral and illegal offshoot from it have shown how devastatingly apathetic this society has become and elected dictatorship will further concretize itself. Senior public officials without any proof of wrong-doing have been dismissed because they failed the examination. The opposition at this time does not know where the machine came from, who formulates the questions and who administers it. To think that this country once had a dictatorship and we fought successfully against it. Where are the eyes and voices of this tragic nation?

Latest News

Polygraph hypocrisy

Related

Similar Articles

The Glenn Lall Show|| March, 17th, 2025

Follow on Tik Tok @Glennlall

THE BLUNT OF THE DAY

Sports

NSC, Office of the DPP to host Criminal Law and Sexual Offences Act...

Lucas Chung maintains strong standing at 2nd...

Farm Supplies Ltd. supports Bartica Regatta 2025

Legislation and Investment: Trinidad to Brazil,...

Three more matches billed for this weekend

CM Khan rules at 2025 National Blitz Chess...

Features/Columnists

“One Guyana” is no less a national slogan than “Green Guyana”

If Guyana’s President Ali is the “Zelensky of the Caribbean”, who is the Putin?

Partner v. investor

Publisher’s Note

Weekend Cartoon

Bridge Watch

Demerara Harbour Bridge

> Berbice Bridge […]

Polygraph hypocrisy

Share this:

Related

Similar Articles

The Glenn Lall Show|| March, 17th, 2025

Follow on Tik Tok @Glennlall

THE BLUNT OF THE DAY

Sports

Features/Columnists

Publisher’s Note

Weekend Cartoon

Bridge Watch

Demerara Harbour Bridge

> Berbice Bridge […]