Religious scholar denied bail by CJ pending rape case hearing

Thirty-three-year-old Nezaam Ali – the Muslim scholar who was earlier this year sentenced to 45 years imprisonment after he was found guilty of raping a nine-year-old boy in 2011— was on Friday denied bail by Chief Justice Roxane George-Wiltshire at the Demerara High Court, ahead of an appeal hearing.
This ruling was subsequently handed down to a bail application that was made by attorneys of the convicted rapist. Attorneys Glen Hanoman and Latchmie Rahamat, on behalf of their client, requested that the court release Ali on bail, citing his present health complications.
However, reasons presented as to why this request should be granted were found to be insufficient by the Chief Justice, and resulted in her denying the same.
Shortly after having a 45-year sentence imposed on him, Ali, through his attorneys, filed an appeal which is seeking to overturn the conviction and sentence handed down by Justice Navindra Singh at the High Court back in March of this year.
In the appeal grounds, the Attorney pointed out that the learned trial Judge (Navindra Singh) erred in law when he refused to accede to the request of the appellant for a short adjournment to ensure the attendance of the legal representative of his own— a lead counsel for the appellant— resulting in a miscarriage of justice.
Other grounds detailed that Justice Singh failed to put Ali’s case in an acceptable way to the jury, and misdirected them (jurors) as it relates to medical evidence presented throughout the trial.
Ali is accused of sexually molesting nine boys between 2011 and 2012, but was only found guilty on one count of rape.
The charge read that between December 5 and 31, 2011, while being a teacher attached to the Turkeyen Masjid, he engaged in sexual activity with the child, abusing a position of trust.
As it is, Ali is yet to answer to eight other counts of rape at the High Court.
Ali, of Lot 268 Section C 5, South Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, was first charged back in 2012 with raping the nine boys. However, after being committed to stand trial in 2013, the matter was stalled for some time after birth and medical certificates for the lads had gone missing from each of the nine files.
The parents and relatives of some of the alleged victims had, in the past, publicly expressed their frustration at the situation. One parent had even claimed that there was a deliberate attempt to drag the matter out.
In 2017, however, there was a turn of events when the Director of Public Prosecution’s Chambers, in a letter, ordered that the case be reopened. Ali was later re-committed to stand trial at the Demerara Assizes in 2018.