Kenesha Vaughn murder case: Nigel Hughes under fire for stalling PI as DPP asked to revoke “special prosecutor” status

The Guyana Police Force (GPF) has broken its silence on the ongoing Preliminary Inquiry (PI) into the murder of Kenesha Vaughn, expressing concern over repeated delays and making clear that the case is not under police prosecution.
In a statement issued Friday, the GPF clarified that Attorney-at-Law Nigel Hughes, who was granted a fiat by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to prosecute the matter, has had exclusive conduct of the case since March 17. A fiat is official legal permission that allows a private attorney to prosecute a criminal case on behalf of the state.
“The Guyana Police Force wishes to clarify that the ongoing preliminary inquiry of the State vs Marlon DaSilva for the murder of Kenesha Vaughn is not being prosecuted by the police,” the statement noted. “Mr Hughes and his associates have had sole conduct of the prosecution of this matter since the 17th day of March 2025.”

The police force, in a statement, expressed concern over media reports indicating that the prosecution has been ill-prepared, which it says reflects poorly on the administration of justice in such a serious matter. Citing the gravity of the offence and the repeated adjournments, the Force announced its intention to raise the matter with the DPP, requesting a revocation of the fiat granted to Hughes.
“For the capital offence of murder, this state of affairs is unacceptable,” the statement emphasised.
The case, involving businessman Marlon DaSilva, who is charged with the brutal killing of his partner Kenesha Vaughn on February 22, 2025, has been marred by delays. Although all statements have been filed, the PI has yet to commence substantively.
On Thursday, the matter was once again adjourned when it was called before Acting Chief Magistrate Judy Latchman at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts. Defence attorney Sanjeev Datadin in an interview with News Room said the defence has been ready for the past two months and that the delay lies squarely with the prosecution.
“We expected the trial to have started by now,” Datadin told News Room, adding that the defence is prepared to proceed and has only requested cross-examination of a few witnesses. According to him, the process should take no more than a day, and a ruling on whether DaSilva should face trial in the High Court can then be made.
Notably, the inquiry is being conducted as a “paper committal”, a streamlined process in which evidence is submitted in writing rather than through full oral hearings. Legal observers have noted that this format should expedite rather than delay proceedings.
Datadin further warned that if the prosecution continues to stall, the defence will move to have the murder charge dismissed.