The Muslim scholar charged with sexually molesting three boys was granted $750,000 bail in the High Court yesterday but his freedom was short lived as he was rearrested today while leaving the Sparendaam Magistrate’s Court, where he had made his second appearance.
Nezaam Ali called `Mufti’, 30, who was attached to the Turkeyen Masjid, was last week charged with three counts of sexual activity with a child by abusing a position of trust and was remanded to prison by Magistrate Alex Moore.
Ali, of Lot 268 Section ‘C 5’ South, Turkeyen was not required to plead to the charges, which alleged that he sexually assaulted three boys under the age of 12 years, between December 5 and December 31, last year, at ‘D’ Field Sophia.
One of Ali’s lawyers, Latchmie Rahamat, told Stabroek News today that a bail application was filed in the High Court yesterday with Ali’s medical complications being the grounds. She said Chief Justice Ian Chang later granted him $250,000 bail on each charge.
Rahamat said that because of some new arrangement where the magistrate’s signature was required before he was released, Ali remained in prison overnight and was taken to court by police today.
She told this newspaper that as her client was leaving the court following the conclusion of the case, he was rearrested by police, the explanation being that there were pending investigations.
The particulars of the charges read that he engaged in sexual penetration of the boys and was in the position of trust and religion to the boys being a religious teacher and knew or reasonably could be expected to have known of the position of trust he held in relation to the boys.
There are five pending investigations, one of which was brought to the attention of the police earlier this week.
The allegations against Ali came to light a several weeks ago when the Child Care and Protection Agency (CC&PA) 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, Ali, who was employed by the Central Islamic Organization of Guyana (CIOG), was arrested but released on $150,000 station bail shortly after.
The CIOG had said that the man had been sent on leave pending the outcome of the investigation.
Later, 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 provided to officials of the CCPA. 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.
Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Shalimar Ali-Hack recused herself from the case after it was claimed that she had attempted to interfere by instructing the police to release the man. She denied the reports. Another senior official at the DPP’s chambers is now handling the case.
