OUTGOING Commissioner-General of the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) Khurshid Sattaur was fired by the organisation’s Board of Directors because he allegedly disclosed taxpayers’ information and stored GRA’s data at his home.Chairman of the GRA board, Rawle Lucas, on Friday told reporters in the presence of Commissioner-General (acting) Ingrid Griffith, Head of the Legal Services Division Hissaun Yasin-Nandlall, and other senior officials of the Authority that the board fired Sattaur after he admitted to breaching his oath of office just prior to last year’s general elections by disclosing a taxpayer’s information to another without authorisation.
“The board learnt that approximately one month before the May 2015 election, Mr Sattaur divulged sensitive information of a Guyanese taxpayer to a person who was not authorised to receive such information,” said Mr Lucas.
The board, through its investigation, concluded that the “transaction had no benefit to the people of Guyana and only for Mr Sattaur himself.”
Mr Lucas said too that Mr Sattaur had a safe belonging to the GRA and containing taxpayers’ data at his residence.
“The safe was supposed to be under the control of the head of the Information and technology Division of the GRA, but was found to be at Mr Sattaur’s residence. The safe was normally used for storing confidential taxpayers’ data.”
The outgoing Commissioner-General reportedly told board members that the safe was at his house due to the fact that his son, an employee of the organisation, is an IT operative.
It is unclear whether the data reportedly stored in the safe that was lodged at Sattaur’s house has been compromised. Additionally, Mr Lucas opted not to divulge the reason the taxpayer’s information was provided and for what reason.
Mr Sattaur’s sacking comes into effect on March 1, 2016, but Mr Lucas was not in a position to state whether the outgoing Commissioner-General would be charged and taken before the courts. He explained that the GRA is currently examining all avenues based on the information before it. “We are still examining the options that are available to us at this particular point in time. We have not ruled out anything,” the Chairman said.
IMPLIED CONTRACT
Meanwhile, Mr Lucas at the press briefing held at GRA’s head office, Camp Street, informed the media that Mr Sattaur voluntarily retired in October of 2011, but continued to serve as Commissioner-General through an “implied contract,” even as he received some $12M in pension which he had backdated; something the GRA chair described as a “highly irregular course of action.”
Mr Sattaur reportedly backdated his participation in GRA’s pension programme which has resulted in $12M being paid to him. This was discovered approximately only one week ago by the board.
“Our legal service division was asked to examine this action and could provide us with no rational or supportive basis for what appears prima facie a highly irregular course of action that created the misleading impression also that he was retained under the permanent establishment, and that he was not on contract.”
MORE VEHICLES
In addition to the six vehicles which were being used by Sattaur, an additional two vehicles belonging to GRA was also reportedly in his possession, one of which was gifted to the GRA. The outgoing Commissioner-General allegedly informed the Board of Directors last week of the two additional vehicles, but claimed he could not recall who gifted one to the Revenue Authority. However, he eventually provided the board with what was deemed “helpful” information.
“However, we are still investigating how two vehicles belonging to GRA, the supposedly gifted one, and another vehicle of the GRA ended up using the same number plate at the same time,” said Mr Lucas. There is a third vehicle registered to the GRA, but is being driven by someone unauthorised to possess or drive it.
“It is in the light of the foregoing factors that the board found it to be in the public’s best interest to discontinue the working relationship between Mr Sattaur and the GRA,” the Chairman stated.
According to Mr Lucas, the move by the board is to ensure that the entity is a better functioning one.
GRA’S CREDIBILITY
Responding to questions of the entity’s credibility after the discovery by the board, Lucas said GRA’s staff is committed to working in the best interest of the country, the entity and the people it serves. He noted that once the staff has the right enabling environment, work would be done efficiently and effectively.
“Deviations are expected,” he said, but was quick to point out that workers of the GRA are trying their best to serve the people of Guyana.
The Board of Directors on Thursday announced its decision to terminate Sattaur’s services while he is on leave. Mr Sattaur was sent on 200 days administrative leave to facilitate an audit into the operations of the Revenue Authority. Acting Commissioner-General Ingrid Griffith will continue to act as Commissioner-General until otherwise advised.
By Ariana Gordon