THE persistent publication of defamatory statements about the Commissioner-General of the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), Mr. Khurshid Sattaur represent a breach of a court order issued last month.

This is according to Sattaur’s lawyer, Mr. Mahendra Satram, in a letter seen by the Guyana Chronicle where he stated that legal recourse to address this breach is imminent.
He said, “(We) have successfully secured an injunction against all of these parties from publishing libelous statements carried in the Kaieteur News Newspaper.

“…the defendants have all been in contempt of court for flagrant disregard of the order of court and appropriate action against these parties are imminent.
“These persons have now published several unfounded and unsubstantiated statements suggesting that the Commissioner-General has committed gross professional misconduct together with statements purportedly made by executives of the Institute/Association (Institute of Chartered Accountants of Guyana [ICAG]).”
COURT ORDER

Justice Sandra Kurtzious, in the latter part of September, granted the injunction against Kaieteur News, preventing the daily newspaper from publishing defamatory statements about the Commissioner-General of the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), Mr. Khurshid Sattaur.
She ordered that Kaieteur News is restrained from further writing, printing, publishing, circulating or causing to be written, printed, published or circulated defamatory material about Sattaur.
National Media and Publishing Company Limited, publishers of the local daily, its owner Glenn Lall and editor Mr. Adam Harris were named in the order granting the injunction.
The injunction was granted after an ex-parte application filed by Sattaur’s lawyers on Wednesday. The application also called for aggravated damages, in excess of $500M, for libel resulting from the false and/or malicious writings published.
The move by Sattaur’s legal representatives follows allegations made in Kaieteur News articles and columns, which stated that: the GRA Head compromised confidential tax information; he breached his of Oath of Office; and was involved in a plot to destroy the newspaper, among other assertions.
The news items were made public in several editions of the newspaper, including that of: 31st, August, 2014; 7th September, 2014; 10th September, 2014; 11th September, 2014; 14th September, 2014; 16th September, 2014; 21st September, 2014; and the 23rd September, 2014.
The injunction is valid until a determination is made in the matter, which is expected to be heard in Chambers on October 14, 2014 at 9:00am. On October 14, the defendants were granted time (leave) to provide an affidavit in answer, however, the injunction still stands. The named defendants will be liable for failing to comply with Justice Kurtzious’ order.