The 16-year-old complainant has decided not to pursue her rape allegation case against, Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Nigel Dharamlall.
This is according to Crime Chief, Wendell Blanhum, who told Stabroek News yesterday that a `No Further Action’ statement was given by the girl in the presence of a parent, the police, and officials.
“At this time, I am only able to confirm that the alleged victim has given a No Further Action statement to investigators in the presence of one of her parents and a representative from the Childcare Protec-tion Agency. The file is currently being prepared to be sent to the DPP for further legal advice,” the Crime Chief informed.
The announcement by Blanhum sparked consternation and a flurry of questions as to why the complainant was withdrawing after going to great lengths to make her allegation and acquiesce to protection under the Childcare and Protection Agency.
Amid the raging controversy, the police last evening defended their actions. In a statement, the Guyana Police Force (GPF) said that it wished to categorically state that at all times, the “highest level of professionalism was adopted during the investigation into an alleged Rape made against Minister Nigel Dharamlall”. As a result, the police force condemned what it described as the dangerous and mischievous attempts made by several social media personalities and an online news outlet to obscure and contort the facts in this matter. The GPF did not identify these persons or the entity.
The GPF said that on the 28th of June 2023, the file was returned to the Police by the Chambers of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) with instructions to conduct further investigations. As a result, the investigators proceeded to action same.
The GPF said that at no time on Thursday the 29th of June 2023, did any investigator or member of the Guyana Police Force make contact with the virtual complainant to conduct any interview, “as is falsely and maliciously being peddled that the virtual complainant was subjected to interviews after interviews, up until 11:00 pm last night. This allegation has no basis in fact, and the truth can easily be established”.
Further, the GPF said that these mischievous and inaccurate claims do not reveal the fact that since yesterday the virtual complainant informed her parents and the Child Care Protection officer that she did not want to proceed with this matter any further.
“The Guyana Police Force is informed that the Virtual Complainant and her parents (without the assistance of any investigator or any other member of the Guyana Police Force) prepared a statement to that effect withdrawing the complaint.
“The Guyana Police Force was also informed that this statement was delivered by hand to the DPP’s chambers by a parent of the virtual complainant. Thereafter, another copy of this statement was delivered to the Guyana Police Force.
“Only after receipt of that statement did the Investigators meet with the virtual complainant, her parent and a Childcare official at the Childcare and Protection Agency”, the police said.
At that time, the police said that the Virtual Complainant, in the presence of her parent and the Childcare official, inform-ed the investigators that she was withdrawing her complaint against Dharamlall and that “she was doing so without anyone forcing her to do so and of her own free will”.
The police said that a video recording was made of the Virtual Complainant expressing these wishes, and her statement was then handed over to the investigators. All of this was done in the presence and hearing of her parent and the Childcare Protection Agency officer.
The police file will now be sent back to the DPP for further legal advice.
“For emphasis, it must be reiterated that at no time whatsoever was the Virtual Complainant interviewed and re-interviewed to exhaustion as is alleged. Further, any and all interactions with the Virtual Complainant and the investigators were always in the presence of the Childcare Protection Officers.
“The Guyana Police Force also wishes to express its concern over the fact that confidential information surrounding the interviews conducted by and at a particular Non-Governmental Organization was unauthorizedly disclosed to several persons who published details of same on social media”, the statement said.
It added that this is a serious development which can undermine criminal investigations resulting in serious miscarriages of justice
The case in question surfaced some two weeks ago, after several screenshots appeared online of a statement by the girl detailing her claim of rape by the minister earlier in the year.
A few days after the surfacing of the screenshots, the public was informed by the police that an investigation into the matter had been launched and Dharamlall was later arrested. After several hours, he was released on station bail in the sum of $1 million.
Dharamlall has also been on administrative leave to permit the investigation to proceed. President Irfaan Ali has been criticised for not taking decisive action after he became aware of the allegation.
