The Guyana Police Force yesterday rejected what it said were erroneous claims made by the law firm Hughes, Fields & Stoby that one of their clients, Samantha Singh, was maliciously arrested by the Police in relation to allegations of fraudulent conversion of funds.
In a clear breach of the sub-judice rule, the police said that the letter dated September 16th, 2023, from Hughes, Fields & Stoby, stated that it considered the charges to be “malicious and not founded in Law and will challenge the evidently abusive exercise of power by the Guyana Police Force”.
“The law firm Hughes, Fields & Stoby, of which Mr Nigel Hughes is the Managing Partner, ought to be aware that the constitutional office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) determines whether criminal charges should be instituted or not, and not Mr Hughes.
“That said, it is the DPP that recommended criminal charges against the woman, Samantha Singh. Also, contrary to what was stated in Hughes’ letter, the contractor (whom Singh is accused of defrauding) made a report to the Police of fraudulent misappropriation. Police investigated the matter, and a file was submitted to the DPP, advising that charges be laid against `Ms Singh’, the police said.
The DPP recommended that “the suspect Samantha Singh be charged with the offence of Fraudulent Conversion of the sum of $4,000,000, Contrary to Section 197(1)(a) of the Criminal Law Offences Act, Cap: 8:01”.
As such, the DPP recommended these charges and, contrary to the insinuations by Hughes and his law firm, were not maliciously done by the Police, the police stated.
