Sattaur defends decision not to give evidence against Glenn Lall; maintains he was threatened
Commissioner General of the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), Khurshid Sattaur has defended his decision not to give evidence against Publisher of the Kaieteur News, Glenn Lall, who was charged with threatening him.
At the same time, Sattaur maintains that he was verbally threatened by Lall and expressed his disappointment with what he says is the “untimeliness” the charges were instituted.
“As a result of the delay he will not be providing further evidence in the matter today,” a statement from the GRA said.
According to Sattaur, he gave the police a statement in the matter, which could have been put forward as evidence and the Magistrate could have continued to have the matter heard.
However, after Sattaur was a no show at the Sparendaam Magistrate’s Court and his lawyer revealed that he will not provide evidence, Magistrate Alex Moore dismissed the charges against Lall.
“My decision of not providing further evidence on the matter today, 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 in his statement.
“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 and in the foreseeable future,” Sattaur stated.
According to the Commissioner General, the GRA cannot run the risk again to fall prey to such issues that can result in the situation spiraling out of control from being manipulated on both sides of the divide.