Advice from the Chambers of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) in the rape probe involving Minister of Local Government, Nigel Dharamlall will take a bit longer as the file was returned yesterday to the Guyana Police Force for further investigations.
The file had been with the DPP since last week Thursday. The return of the file to the DPP came just days after attorney Nigel Hughes, who represents the interest of the Minister, wrote to the DPP on evidentiary issues related to the case.
“In the course of the investigation into Mr Dharamlall, lawyers of Mr Dharamlall wrote to the DPP. I can disclose that, I rather not disclose as to what we wrote about. It is directly relating to investigation and evidence that we believe contradicts the evidence of the complainant”, Hughes said in an interview with Stabroek News on Monday.
Hughes added that what has been written about will not be publicly known given the gravity of the matter and that the firm is expecting that based on what is presented the DPP will act.
Leader of the Alliance for Change, Khemraj Ramjattan has said that by now, with the evidence provided in the case, Dharamlall should have been charged already.
“The evidence is there. He should have been charged already and remanded. If the girl now went back to her original statement which we all saw on the social media … Any other client would have been charged and have no bail by the magistrate at this time but I suppose he name Dharamlall, this Government, they give privileges, I suppose. It’s an element of privileges”, Ramjattan said.
The return of the file to the police also came a day after the DPP said that the Chambers will not be intimidated by protestors and that the file is being given “due legal attention”.
“This police file in question, is only one of thousands of police flies, which the DPP’s Office receives from all stations in the 10 administrative regions of Guyana for legal attention. Files for persons in custody are given priority”, the DPP said in a release on Tuesday.
The DPP added that while the case remains one of public interest, it should not be politicized.
After the complainant gave a statement to the Childcare and Protection Agency, the police arrested Dharamlall last week Monday and later that day he was placed on $1m bail. Dharamlall is on administrative leave after asking President Irfaan Ali to do so to enable the investigation.
