Dear Editor,
The Director of Public Prosecutions has instructed the police not to pursue any charges against Minister of Local Government, Nigel Dharamlall. The dildo minister was accused of raping a 16-year-old teenager of Indigenous descent.
As in numerous cases, the DPP has committed a grievous blunder. The Law governing sex offenses is explicit in the amendment ( May 24, 2010) section 69 (1) NOCORROBORATION OF THE EVIDENCE OF THE COMPLAINANT OR THE SWORN OR UNSWORN EVIDENCE OF A CHILD SHALL BE REQUIRED FOR A CONVIVCRTONOF AN OFFENCE UNDER THIS ACT, AND THE JUDGE SHALL NOT DIRECT THE JURYTHAT IT IS UNSAGE TO FIND THE ACCUSED GUILTYIN THE ABSENCE OF CORROBORATION.
On Thursday, June 29, the DPP returned the police file on the rape allegations against the minister instructing that ranks do further investigations into the matter. The very next day, the Guyana Police Force announced that the teen informed police investigators that she no longer wished to continue with the matter. Now this reeks of quite the opposite of what the rubber stamp President declared in Trinidad that the PPP gov’t will allow the police to conduct investigations without trying to influence the outcome. ‘From the inception, I advised the population that I would allow the system to work. I would never and the gov’t would never intervene in the system.’ Well, this statement is subject to a plethora of interpretations and conclusions for the simple reason that the teen faced a barrage of questioning in a series of encounters from a variety of state agencies with grown adults over a 2 week period; a harrowing ordeal carrying the shameful court drama yet to be played out. No wonder the victim was made to feel like she had committed a crime!
Meanwhile, questions must be asked as to why the alleged rapist painted over the bedroom where the crime took place; enough cause for a charge of ‘tampering with evidence’. Furthermore, there needs to be an inquiry into the actions of the DPP (as there is no ombudsman) as to what grounds not a single charge has been instituted against Minister Dharamlall. Guyanese must recall that the son of a sitting minister killed a motorist while driving drunk during the Ramoutar sojourn as president. He paid the victim’s family a settlement and is now free to drive once more. And more recently, the drunken driving killing of cyclist Jude Bentley by army Chief-of-Staff Gary Best was (deliberately) bungled by police not property administering a breathalyzer test. In conclusion, it must be noted that the victim never stated that her story was fictitious; rather through frustrations, intimidation, or bribery she pronounced she did not want any further action. The fact remains that there is an abundance of evidence that a crime has been committed and warrants Min. Dharamlall be charged.
Leyland Chitlall Roopnaraine
