Glenn, where is your accountability?

I VIEW with great consternation the current escapades that are taking place within the media between publisher of Kaieteur News, Mr. Glenn Lall and Head of the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), Mr. Khursid Sattaur. 

It would seem to me that Mr. Lall who was caught with his pants down when the re-migrant duty free concession scam was exposed, now wants an attempt to save face and throw a smoke screen around the culpability of the actions he committed. He blames Mr. Sattaur and makes it look like he is on a “witch hunt” to take down Kaieteur News.
Mr. Lall’s proof which he claims show that the GRA head is after him, is a purported email exchange which he apparently solicited and fabricated for publication in his paper between Mr. Sattaur and Former Presiden Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo. It was also copied to the Attorney Genera Mr. Anil Nandlall.
The email I understand makes no reference to Kaieteur News whatsoever yet Mr. Lall deduced that because it dealt with information of other media houses to which he is not affiliated, it was a direct indication and evidence that somehow Mr. Sattaur was after him.
Lall then had the audacity to say that he will be sending the purported emails to the Diplomatic community such as the United States embassy.
I recall that the Attorney General has since said in the media that he welcomes such a move, his justification for it was that the U.S. would be the right persons, since they take matters of the invasion of privacy, fabrication and interference with emails very seriously. The AG then made reference to the WikiLeaks scandal and the seriousness which the United States placed on such matters which are illegal in their jurisdictions.
Mr. Lall should know that the actions that he committed with the email exchanges are a gross violation of one’s privacy. His actions are more disreputable because of the caliber of persons whose emails he purportedly intercepted and fabricated.
Earlier this week, Opposition Members of Parliament from both the Alliance for Change (AFC) and A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) along with the private sector spoke out in the Chronicle Newspaper against this dastardly act committed by Kaieteur News, stating that the privacy of communication must be protected, while calling for the requisite legislation to be put in place so that these acts become illegal as is the case in other countries.
The Kaieteur News publisher is misusing the instrument of Freedom of Expression to try and extricate himself from the criminality of which he was exposed not once, not twice but three times on record.
He doesn’t want the readers out there to know that he is the total opposite of what he professes himself to be, the champion of accountability and corruption.
I think Mr. Sattaur should continue with his work unabated and not be deterred by the attempts of a publisher who is misusing the fourth estate to justify his illegal actions. I support the GRA in implementing a full audit of Kaieteur News.
The questions that readers out there should have in the back of their minds, is why is it the Kaieteur News publisher who preaches every day about accountability and corruption is unwilling to facilitate such an investigation by GRA? Why is he making all kinds of preemptive excuses to make sure it doesn’t happen?
How does the adage go again, “Do as I say and not as I do?” What are you trying to avoid Mr. Lall?

BALRAM SINGH

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