As expected, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has struck out private criminal charges which were brought earlier this week by PPP/C MPs against Finance Minister Winston Jordan, Public Infrastructure Minister, David Patterson and Public Service Minister Dr Rupert Roopnaraine.
In a statement yesterday, the Chambers of the DPP said that the private criminal charges were discontinued by the DPP under Article 187 (1) (c) of the constitution. This is the same section she had cited in nullifying earlier charges by the PPP/C MPs Juan Edghill and Vickram Bharrat against Minister of Public Health Volda Lawrence and Minister of Social Cohesion Dr George Norton.
As she had done in relation to the earlier charges, the DPP said that “these charges concern a grave issue under the criminal law in relation to two serving ministers. In the interest of good governance in the State of Guyana such allegations ought first to have been reported to the Guyana Police Force for an investigation to be launched and the advice of the DPP sought”.