The lawyer for a foreign service officer has written former Minister of Local Government Nigel Dharamlall to warn him over allegations he had made against her.
Sharmayne Balram has publicly complained that she had been the subject of allegations by Dharamlall and this had resulted in police marching into the Ministry of Foreign Affairs where she works, seizing her personal devices and escorting her to the Criminal Investigation Department.
Yesterday, Balram’s lawyer Everton Singh-Lammy wrote Dharamlall warning him to desist and signalling that his client expected an apology.
“Ms. Balram had initially been informed on or around the 30th July 2024 that you were communicating to government officials and persons from the diplomatic community that you had undertaken a private investigation that revealed that she was suspected of being involved in defaming you via social media. Ms. Balram was then arrested on the 31st July 2024 and she was informed by members of the Guyana Police Force that you had made a report against her in this regard.
“From the outset, my client is categorically stating that she is NOT involved in any action on or off social media that affects your reputation. You may or may not be aware but my client has had cause to make a report to the Information System Unit of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs a few weeks ago about unusual activity that was occurring across her social media accounts and professional email account that may have caused information or said accounts to be compromised”, Singh-Lammy wrote.
He said that it should be noted that this report was made prior to Dharanlall’s allegation of her “involvement”.
The lawyer added: “A report was also made to the Guyana Police Force in this regard. We appreciate that you would want to determine who the party or parties is or are who may actually be using social media to tarnish your `good’ reputation; whoever, your actions in informing all and sundry about what your `private’ investigation has revealed is reckless, it is causing my client harm, and you are interfering with the administration of the law. In accordance with the expected outcome of the police investigation, which is anticipated to unequivocally exonerate my client, a formal and comprehensive apology will be expected of you upon the conclusion of said investigation”.
Until such time, Singh-Lammy advised Dharamlall that it would be prudent for him to desist from any undue and hasty judgements and actions against Balram as such may be construed as prejudicial and unfounded.
“Your actions may amount to conspiring to procure the conviction of an innocent person and it smears my client’s good name. Thank you in anticipation of your compliance; if there is noncompliance within twenty-four hours of your receipt of this correspondence, legal action will be instituted against you without further notice”, the lawyer wrote.
On Wednesday, Balram condemned Dharamlall for lodging a complaint with the police against her.
In her statement on Facebook, she said: “I began my journey with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation in December 2015 . I am the holder of a Master’s Degree in Econo-mics, along with a Bachelor’s Degree in International Relations, and I am a high school graduate from Abram Zuil Secondary school on the Essequibo Coast.
“As a mid-level career diplomat, I have had the privilege of representing Guyana at various international forums, including the United Nations in New York, the Human Rights Council in Geneva, as well as in Germany, the Netherlands, China, India, and Japan.
“I am profoundly disturbed, disgusted, and outraged by the baseless accusations being leveled against me by disgraced former Minister of Local Government, Nigel Dharamlall.
“These fabricated claims are a direct assault on my character, my career, and my professional integrity”, she said.
She added that the fact that Dharamlall could have used his “political clout to send the police into my office at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation to seize all my devices and then personally escorted me like a common criminal to the Criminal Investigation Department, and made me sign a ledger confirming I was arrested, is extremely concerning to me and my family”.
She said that while Dharamlall’s actions and allegations are not surprising, they are reprehensible and reflect his last desperate attempt to deflect attention from his own troubling reputation.
“My lawyers will steadfastly defend my rights as a professional woman who lives her life with decency, dignity, and integrity”, she said.
On his Facebook page, Dharamlall said: “Further to a private investigation I undertook, information has come forth that allowed me today, Wednesday 31 July, 2024, to make a further report to the Guyana Police Force…” He then levelled an accusation against Balram.
Sources say Balram’s devices contained sensitive matters pertaining to her work and these should not have been in the custody of the police for anytime.
