Fifty-two-year-old Jack Mangal, of 114 Agriculture Road, Triumph, East Coast Demerara (ECD), was freed on Monday after Justice Simone Ramlal upheld a no-case submission and directed the 12-member jury to formally return with a not-guilty plea.
Freed: Jack Mangal
Attorney Maxwell McKay represented Mangal, a bus driver, who was accused of raping a 19-year-old female student at Agriculture Road on August 1, 2014. He was committed to stand trial in the High Court in February of 2015.
According to the particulars of the case, the teenager was running errands for her mother when she was raped.
Prosecutors Seeta Bishundyal and Orienthia Schmidt presented the State’s case.
At approximately 11:40h on Monday, Justice Ramlal instructed the jury to return with the not-guilty plea upholding McKay’s no-case submission. Following the not-guilty verdict, Justice Ramlal turned to Mangal and said: “Mr Mangal, you are a free man.”
The man breathed a visible sigh of relief, smiled and made a beeline for the first exit out of the courtroom.
