Former MP charged for sexual assault

Following political pressure

Hours after former People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Member of Parliament (MP), Alister Charlie accused the David Granger-led Administration of using the criminal justice system as a political instrument against their political opponents, he was taken before the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts. Charlie was on Tuesday charged for sexual assault and attempting to pervert the course of justice. He was released on bail immediately after the charge was read at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts. Charlie, who is also a Central Committee Member of the PPP, appeared before Magistrate Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus and denied both charges which alleged that between July 31 and August 1, 2019, at Lethem, Rupununi, Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo), he sexually assaulted a 16-year-old boy.
It was further alleged that on August 5, 2019, in Lethem, Rupununi, he attempted to pervert the course of justice. In court on Tuesday, Defence Counsel, Latchmi Rahamat, in a bail application, requested that her client be released on reasonable bail.
The former MP was released on $200,000 bail and the case will continue on January 31 at the Lethem Magistrate’s Court.
Only Monday evening, Charlie had said that “expectedly, as it is becoming clearer with every passing day that the coalition Government will lose the March 2, 2020 National and Regional Elections, they are becoming progressively more desperate and vindictive”.
He added, “we have already witnessed their acts of vandalism against our party’s flags and other campaign paraphernalia. We have also witnessed their acts of thuggery and intimidation against our party’s activists as they move around the country to spread the message of the PPP/C”.
According to Charlie, after applying tremendous political pressure upon members of the Guyana Police Force, “they have finally succeeded in getting me charged with the criminal offences of sexual assault and attempting to pervert the course of justice”.
It is to be noted, he said, that the initial Police investigation concluded the matter as being resolved with the Virtual Complainant retracting the complaint after confessing that he was forced to make that complaint by someone “who is a known PNC activist” in the area. It is also important to note, he said, that the incident in question allegedly occurred since July 31, 2019.
“Subsequently, Vice President Sydney Allicock visited the police station with a delegation and, as a result, a special team of police officers, centrally directed from Eve Leary, Georgetown, was dispatched to reopen the investigation. As a result, these charges emerged. It is not without relevance that PNC activist, Carl Parker, the ex-Regional Executive Officer of Region Nine, was charged with attempted rape.”
“I maintain that I am innocent of these charges and these charges are instituted against me because I was a Member of Parliament and a Central Committee Member of the PPP,” Charlie stated.