Efforts to reintroduce Dharamlall into public life failed miserably – AWD

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The alleged rape and buggery of the 16-year-old schoolgirl has taken another turn with the release of a video of the child addressing the issue and apologizing to her alleged rapist Nigel Dharamlall, former Minister of Local Government. The 16-year-old child’s video address was released by ‘They Break News’ Mikhail Rodrigues known as “Guyanese Critic.”

During the recess of Guyana’s’ National Assembly, Lawyer and Shadow Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation Amanza Walton-Desir (AWD) broke down the contents of the video address by the 16-year-old to In Credible Sources’ In The Ring, a popular Guyanese online talk show.

The Shadow Minister said she had been watching the situation and following closely: “I was following some social media commentators more or less contradicting what was released in that video, and I am deeply concerned for the welfare and the emotional and mental state of that child, and I want to emphasize that she is a child, she is still a minor not over 18.” AWD noted that “even though she presents in that manner we have to understand that this is still a child and that must underpin all of our considerations.”

Walton-Desir said that a couple of things stood out from the video the 16-year-old released. “One, there was no emphasis whatsoever on the legal issues surrounding this matter; there was no emphasis on interviews conducted while this child was at CPA ‘Child Protection Agency’; no reference of the complaint that took Mr. Dharamlall down to the Police station no reference to the reason for him retaining an attorney.” The Lawyer explained that you have to see this for what it is, “a last ditch effort by the PPP/C or elements within the PPP/C to sort of clear the way for Nigel Dharamlall’s reintroduction into public office and it has failed and failed miserably.”

AWD said when you dissect what she called a carefully curated statement, “It had serious political undertones, it reference the opposition, it referenced the Amerindian Peoples Association, it referenced activist etcetera, so you can see it was with a political objective in mind.” The Shadow Minister expressed that the young lady in that video never mentioned, “That there was no rape, what she said is that the sex did not happen and the reason for that is whoever curated that statement or prepared that statement understood that if she would ever go on record saying that there was no rape she could be liable to be charged for filing a false police report and liable for all kinds of lawsuits by the Minister in question but that has not happened.”

The Lawyer said that looking at the facts, “When she said she thought it ended with his resignation, why would he need to resign if clearly he were not culpable of some misdemeanor or the other and now, we are seeing some screen shot and voice notes of what the young lady had in which indicated that he did this to her.”

The lawyer further questioned where was her parents in during all of this video taping? The video she said had to be okayed by someone higher up in the PPP. Given the fact that she is a minor under the law the Shadow Minister said that we have to see that the PPP/C government is ok with victimizing the victim.

The Facebook post and WhatsApp messages were sent to social Activist Melissa Atwell known as “Melly Facking Mel” who released it causing public outcry and attracted public pressure by organizations, members of the Public, and many citizens from Amerindian villages countrywide who protested for a speedy resolution on the matter.

The activist was forced to file a complaint to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) under the legal facility of “transnational repression” after the Guyana Police Force issued a wanted bulletin for the activists alleging cyber-crimes. July 20, 2023, activist Melissa Atwell released a voice note of the voice of the 16 -year-old admitting that all the text messages released and the allegation of rape and buggery were true.

The now former Minister of Local Government had sent his letter of resignation to President Irfaan Ali who was at the time on a state visit attending Caricom 50th anniversary Celebration and 45th sitting of CARICOM Heads of State in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. The press release informed citizens of the Republic of Guyana that the Minister had resigned and was suffering as a result of the rape and buggery allegations by the 16-year-0ld schoolgirl.