In the aftermath of the decision by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) not to recommend a charge against former Minister of Local Government and Regional Development Nigel Dharamlall over an allegation of rape, the Amerindian Peoples Association (APA) has called for an independent probe of all the agencies who played a part in this decision,
In a release yesterday, the APA said that Indigenous peoples in Guyana have witnessed their rights being trampled upon by the very people who are tasked with protecting those rights. It noted that the manner in which the ‘investigation’ was conducted, “cements the fact that Indigenous peoples are not equal in the eyes of Guyana’s justice system.”
The APA says it remains convinced that the end goal of this “investigation” was never the delivery of justice but rather to save face and avoid further humiliation. The mere fact that President Irfaan Ali failed to take concrete action against Dharamlall when the allegations surfaced speaks volumes about the government’s blatant disregard for the gravity of the accusation levelled against his minister.