Mr. Khurshid Sattaur ought to know better

DEAR EDITOR,
The GRA, like the IRS in America and like any other tax authority, is legally obligated to protect confidential tax information of others.  As the evidence is unfolding and the allegations continue to fly, it is coming to the attention of the public that the GRA appears to be leaking protected information to a private citizen in the person of Bharrat Jagdeo.  This is a dangerous development, and as Moses Nagamootoo highlighted, “possibly the worst crime in modern Guyana”.
As a member of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), Mr. Sattaur ought to know he is duty bound professionally to “respect the confidentiality of information acquired as a result of professional relationships and shall not disclose such information to third parties without proper legal authority (such an order of the court)”.
It is just professionally incompetent and reckless to provide a private citizen in the person of Jagdeo with confidential tax information on other parties, especially those for whom he has a dislike.  How can we be sure now that bandits in Guyana are now not in receipt of the taxable income of the citizens from agents in the GRA which then forms the database of who to attack for robbery and who not to attack?
The integrity of the institution, the GRA, is now under question, since its leader has been less than straightforward and appears to be extremely dishonest in his dealings with the public.  He now appears to be demonstrating much bias against Kaieteur News and it is imperative that he step down from office and allow his deputy to conduct the affairs of the GRA until he can be fully investigated in light of these strong allegations of conflict of interest and improper professional behaviour.
In this regard, we call on a professional Accountant to lodge a formal complaint with the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Guyana and the Caribbean, and also with the ACCA, to formally investigate this alleged violation of the Code of Professional Ethics and Conduct of the ACCA.
This is a serious matter and Mr. Khurshid Sattaur ought to know better.
Dr Asquith Rose and Harish Singh