Investigators should today be sending the file on the child molestation scandal involving a Muslim scholar to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for advice on charges, according to Crime Chief Seelall Persaud.
The man, who is attached to the Turkeyen Masjid, remained in police custody last night but Persaud said bail might be granted since the expiration of the 72-hour maximum period the police could hold him without charge was approaching. The man was rearrested on Tuesday afternoon, after new evidence suggested that he had molested as many as nine boys.
A source close to the Child Care and Protection Agency (CCPA), which is caring for the boys, said that it is shocking that charges have not been laid when there is more than enough evidence. The source said that the current situation is more than upsetting. There are also concerns about the reason why the file is being sent to the DPP’s Chambers, after allegations that the DPP attempted to interfere in the case. DPP Shalimar Ali-Hack denied the allegations and has noted that the police could institute charges without her advice.
Meanwhile, attorney Vic Puran, who is watching the suspect’s interest, said yesterday that he is protesting the way that Stabroek News has been reporting the matter “because they are discussing evidence.” He stated that he hand delivered a letter to the Crime Chief, in which he highlighted several matters on behalf of his client. Puran said that based on the allegations made, the incidents took place in November but his client was away from last October until mid-December. The attorney said that during this time, his client was on Haj in Saudi Arabia and later received medical attention in England.
“If the police were to investigate these things, I doubt whether he could be charged,” he said, noting that his client has been crying continuously since his incarceration.
Ten boys have so far been identified in the scandal but one is still to be found. Medical officials have confirmed that seven were sexually molested, while the other two, during questioning, told police investigators and CCPA officials that they had been fondled.
The incident came to light last week when the agency received an anonymous tip. Officials began an investigation and four boys between the ages of 4 and 10 were identified. The police were informed of the situation and after the boys were medically examined, the Muslim scholar, who was employed by the Central Islamic Organization of Guyana (CIOG), was arrested but released on $150,000 station bail shortly after. CIOG had said in a release that the man, who was employed by them, has been sent on leave pending the outcome of the investigation.
Over the weekend two more boys were identified but medical examinations confirmed that only one had been penetrated. The other boy, from the beginning, had said that the man often hugged and fondled him but he was never penetrated.
The names of four others were also handed over to officials of the agency. Three of the boys were found in a rural area and doctors confirmed that they had been sexually molested. The fourth boy is yet to be found. Reports are that one of the children had attempted to highlight the situation but was ignored.
