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Witch-hunt against KNews…Jagdeo/Sattaur revelations forwarded to diplomatic community
– Parliament should address this as a matter of grave importance –Nigel Hughes
“Now, we have confirmation that the (revenue) department has made itself available to the Government of the day for use against the citizenry, and that is really the most frightening aspect of it…”
Nigel Hughes, AFC Chairman
-Nigel Hughes
Chairman of the Alliance For Change (AFC), Nigel Hughes believes that the National Assembly should address with urgency the breach of the “Oath of Secrecy” by Commissioner General of the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), Khurshid Sattaur.
Hughes, at his Party’s most recent press conference, asserted that the e-mails published by the Kaieteur News which showed Sattaur admitting that he sent to the former President, Bharrat Jagdeo, the tax information of several media entities and then forwarded it to Attorney General, Anil Nandlall, in a plot to shut down the newspaper, reflects a most frightening prospect for the citizenry.
The Attorney-at-Law told media operatives that it has always been the suspicion, since independence, that the tax department has been used as an instrument in which citizens have been threatened if they criticize the administration.
“But now, we have confirmation that the department has made itself available to the Government of the day for use against the citizenry and that is really the most frightening aspect of it. I believe because of this magnitude, the Parliament needs to address this as a matter of urgency,” Hughes stated.
GRA’s boss, Khurshid Sattaur
He made reference to the powers of the GRA, one being the ability to forfeit one’s assets and the fact it is responsible for taxing the entire Judiciary. In the same breath, he said that if one were to contemplate the powers of the Tax Chief, it certainly underscores the need for the Parliament to address his behaviour in light of the revelations.
Hughes then added that Sattaur’s actions to close down one of the prominent members of the fourth estate; Kaieteur News, in such a manner, is an issue that the Parliament ought to address as a matter of grave importance.
AFC Leader, Khemraj Ramjattan had also said that the e-mails between the parties are a concern to all citizens.
Ramjattan said that he had indicated the party’s desire to share the revelations with the diplomatic community and that process has already been set in motion.
Ramjattan said that his party plans to send the information to organizations such as CARICOM, the United Nations and the Organization of American States. He said that this was being done to externalize the kind of misconduct that is being condoned by “top notch administrators” in Guyana.
The lawyer said that he has sought the guidance of several international personnel on how to strengthen the confidentiality of tax information by tax regulators.
“I got advice from Canada and I am to get information from someone from Great Britain who is an accountant as to what their legislation is on this matter so that we can in future try to lay parent legislation as statute to that effect. But what I think is most important, is the training of the officials to understand that there must be a code of conduct or manual to teach them that they must not behave this way and other officials must not condone it.
Bharrat Jagdeo
“We need a code of conduct so that they can understand that that behaviour will not be tolerated and that there is need for self restraint to be exercised. They need to understand that they are breaching the law on confidentiality and in so doing they can be chaotic in their offices. This is a frightening prospect,” Ramjattan asserted.
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