GRA tax boss breaches “Oath of Secrecy”…Khurshid Sattaur should resign immediately – AFC

Sep 24, 2014 News

---

– Rohee can’t say if Govt. is concerned about his actions
In light of damning evidence provided by this newspaper which shows the Commissioner General of the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), Khurshid Sattaur, sending tax information on several independent media entities to former President Bharrat Jagdeo, the Alliance For Change (AFC) has made a strong call for his immediate resignation.

Kaieteur News on Sunday last stated that its Publisher, Glenn Lall, is in possession of indisputable evidence of a plot by Jagdeo and Sattaur, to bring down the newspaper. The same day Sattaur issued a statement denying the plot and contending that he had a right to share information with the Head of State.
The evidence put forward by this publication were emails between Sattaur and Jagdeo which were then shared with the Attorney General Anil Nandlall. Sattaur via email sent information on the corporation tax income of several media houses to Jagdeo and then to Nandlall.
According to some lawyers, the information disclosed by the GRA Commissioner-General to Jagdeo, represents a grave breach of the ‘Oath of Secrecy’ sworn to by Sattaur as an officer of the Guyana Revenue Authority.
In taking the Oath, Sattaur solemnly declared that he would “truly, faithfully, impartially and honestly execute the powers vested in him.”  He also swore not to disclose any tax information concerning any taxpayer.
In the email written by Sattaur, he asserts that Jagdeo advised him to say that “an impending major audit of the Kaieteur News” was behind the publication’s criticisms of him.
Asked whether the government is at all concerned by the actions committed by the tax chief, General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), Clement Rohee said that he would not be able to answer any question on the issue.
At his weekly press conference, yesterday, Rohee said that after working with his ministry for several years, he has developed a rather “suspicious mind” and when he saw the disclosure of the information by this newspaper it reminded him of a similar incident which took place in Trinidad and Tobago.

The authenticity of the email came into question in that episode, he said, adding that he is left with no choice but to question the same in this case.
“I don’t know how credible those emails are. There are so many concoctions and fabrications floating around this country and in this political season such as the $30M allegation, where it was said that Government would buy off three opposition parliamentarians to vote against the no-confidence motion. So I don’t know. I really can’t answer that question.”
Rohee was then reminded of how prompt the government was in addressing that allegation when it came from the opposition as it had done on other occasions. He was subsequently asked why government, or any of its arms, particularly the GRA, has been silent thus far, considering their usual mode when it comes to such revelations.
“In the case of the $30M issue, there was a direct allegation to the party and the government about this matter, but in the case of the Kaieteur News expose, it has nothing to do with the PPP.”
Yesterday, Leader of the AFC, Khemraj Ramjattan said that the emails between Sattaur and Jagdeo reflect a fundamental departure of the oath to confidentiality taken by Sattaur. The AFC Leader said that Sattaur should have never given such information to Jagdeo who is not known as any legal advisor to him.
“As far as I am concerned and from what I was told, President Donald Ramotar never authorized Sattaur to give that information to Jagdeo. I wish to remind that Jagdeo is a private citizen and has no authority whatsoever, under the law or otherwise, to request the tax information of any person of business.
“As such, this kind of behavior from such a senior person, Sattaur, is just utterly outrageous. When I knew Sattaur he started out with all intentions of being professional, but he has allowed himself to lose that quality. I know the Kaieteur News can be unrelenting and it can be hard on you sometimes, but that does not give you the right in this democracy to lash back at the newspaper in the most cruel and sickening manner,” Ramjattan asserted.
The politician insisted that in a normal democracy, Sattaur needs to learn to take criticisms and respond in an impartial manner, and not in one that causes him to sacrifice the commitment he made to uphold the principles of his office.

He said that Sattaur’s actions have only served to bring the office of the Guyana Revenue Authority into disrepute and as such he is calling on him to do the only “just” thing and resign.
Ramjattan added, “The members of the board at the Guyana Revenue Authority should also demand his resignation, for it cannot be stated enough that his actions were not only unethical but immoral. And just to think, he ran to Jagdeo for advice on how to deal with Kaieteur News, a man who is known for being malicious and vindictive.
“I would have understood if he went for advice from the Attorney General, but then again… This whole situation with Sattaur is quite unfortunate for him, his office and his staff who were looking up to him.”
The AFC said that it is aghast at the shocking revelations by Kaieteur News with regard to the targeting of independent media by the GRA, seemingly under the direction of forces external to the entity.
The party said that it has been in receipt of various complaints of activities of this nature and had for some time held suspicions that independent media houses and businesses which are not viewed as subservient to the “authorities” have been unfairly targeted for investigations.
As the plot thickens, the AFC noted that Kaieteur News has unearthed what appears to be irrefutable evidence which shows clearly the scandalous levels of “a seemingly highly orchestrated illegal and vile campaign by the government.”
The AFC said that it is specifically horrified that there appears to be involvement and collusion on the part of the Attorney General.
It posited, too, that this scandalous, appalling and deliberate breach of the public trust and, importantly, of the Revenue Authority Act, represents a most sickening and foul act perpetrated on the people of Guyana.  It concluded that this revelation brings to the attention of the nation that every citizen and every business is at risk of being targeted and shut down.
Considering the evidence produced by this publication, the AFC made several calls. Apart from its call for the resignation of the tax chief, it called for a thorough, independent investigation on the matter and for the law to take its full course.
It called, too, for President Ramotar to immediately withdraw the Attorney General from heading the Guyana delegation which is scheduled to meet with the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force’s America Region Reviewing Group at the end of the month in Miami.
As for bodies such as the Private Sector Commission, the media and all non-governmental organizations, it called on them to publicly and unequivocally condemn these frightening and terrifying revelations. The party noted that it is currently gathering information and will shortly convene a management meeting to discuss the party’s course of action in ensuring that citizens “are rid of this atrocious and horrendous cancer.”
The party commended the editor and publisher of Kaieteur News for displaying the fortitude, resilience and bravery in bringing the evidence to the public, at the risk of further intimidation and victimization.

---

---