THE following statement was issued yesterday by Commissioner General of the Guyana Revenue Authority, Mr. Kurshid Sattaur:

The Commissioner-General of the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), Mr. Khurshid Sattaur, wishes to assure the taxpaying public that while he continues to maintain the position that verbal threats were issued to him by Kaieteur News Publisher, Glen Lall, he is very disappointed with the untimeliness in which the charges were instituted. As a result of the delay, he will not be providing further evidence in the matter today (yesterday). According to the Commissioner-General, based on his statement put forward as evidence already given to the Police on the matter, the Magistrate could have either continued to have the matter heard or withdraw the matter. The magistrate obviously chose to take the latter position.

“My decision of not providing further evidence on the matter at this juncture is consistent with the position that I have asked my lawyer, who represented me, to take on the matter that would hopefully see the GRA being removed from the spotlight, as the staff were beginning to feel the fatigue from the excessive public attention that was unwarrantedly given to the current court imbroglio in which the Lalls were charged for criminal offenses under the Customs Act,” the Commissioner-General said.

Further, he stated that it would appear from the protracted time taken by the DPP in eventually recommending criminal charges against the threats, that there was a perception of some difficulty in the pursuit of the charges. “Having therefore the concern over the possible negative outcome, and in view of the manner in which this matter has been pursued in the media, more so by certain media houses, in consultation with my lawyers, it was decided that no public good can be served to have evidence provided on the matter today (yesterday) and in the foreseeable future,” Mr. Sattaur stated.

According to the Commissioner-General, the GRA cannot run the risk once again to fall prey to such issues that can result in the situation spiralling out of control. The GRA has a greater public interest to serve at this point in time in ensuring that it fulfills its mandate in collecting Government revenues in keeping with the estimate that has been approved in the National Assembly for the year 2014 of in excess of $135 billion.

Kurshid Sattaur
Commissioner-General