-says matter not over
Sarah Hakh, who had lodged a rape complaint against former Local Government Minister, Nigel Dharamlall has labeled the police as “grossly incompetent and negligent” in their dealings with her report. Though she has not stated her next steps regarding the matter, Hakh said that it will not end as is.
When this newspaper reached out to Hakh on Monday, she initially agreed to provide an update on the matter, however, on Thursday evening she decided against this.
“Unfortunately I won’t be doing any one-on-one interviews… I will say that the police are grossly incompetent and negligent so this won’t end here,” she later told Stabroek News, adding that various media groups will be informed on proceedings in due time.
On May 10, the former Local Government Ministry employee went public with her allegations of rape against Dharamlall. In response to the woman’s claims, the former Local Government Minister issued a statement denying the allegations.
After being publicly lambasted by the Guyana Press Association for its lack of response to questions pertaining to the matter and possible charges against the accused, the Guyana Police Force (GPF) on May 13th announced that Dharamlall would be taken in for questioning. This was done, and he was later that day released on $500,000 bail.
On May 24th, the GPF issued a press statement notifying that it had received legal advice stating that there was insufficient evidence to charge Dharamlall in relation to the rape and sexual assault allegations made against him. The legal advice, it said, was based on the fact that there were several inconsistencies and discrepancies in the complainant’s story.
“There were also statements from several independent witnesses that totally contradicted the complainant’s story. These included alibi witnesses who placed Nigel Dharamlall in a different Region on the date that the alleged incident occurred in September 2020.
“Statements also disclosed that Nigel Dharamlall is not the owner of the house where the alleged incident occurred in January 2021 and he has no access to same.
“These disclosures, among others, resulted in there being insufficient credible evidence and no realistic prospect of conviction in these matters.
“In keeping with the Code for Prosecutors, a case which does not pass this evidential stage must not proceed, no matter how serious or sensitive it may be”, the police statement said.
When questioned on the source of the legal advice, Police PR Mark Ramotar informed the media that the advice came from the Office of the Police Legal Advisor, Mandel Moore. To date, Ramotar has yet to update the press on the rationale behind the Police Legal Advisor deciding on Dharamlall’s case as opposed to the Chambers of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
The Police PR is also yet to state the number of witnesses who were referred to in the police report. It should also be noted that cases of lesser importance have made it to the DPP’s office.
In the first quarter of last year, similar accusations arose from a 16-year-old female. After some time the complainant decided not to press charges. Dharamlall then resigned from his post and from Parliament. There had been concerns that the complaint of this 16-year-old had not been properly and expeditiously handled by the police and the Chambers of the Director of Public Prosecutions.
