MARCH 7, 2019 has been set as the date for the commencement of the trial into the alleged rape of nine boys by Muslim scholar, Nezaam Ali.

The chambers of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) on Tuesday said that, in the case of the State versus Ali, for the offence of sexual activity with a child by abusing a position of trust, with an alternative count of rape of a child under 16 years of age, is set to commence on March 7, 2019, in the Demerara High Court.

The DPP chambers reported that the matter was brought up before Justice Navindra Singh on Tuesday. Ali was represented by Attorney-at-law Stanley Moore, who requested a date, March 7, 2019, for commencement of the trial.

All witnesses for the State were present in court. Ali has been charged with nine counts of sexual activity with a child by abusing a position of trust. Ali, known as ‘Mufti’, of Lot 268 Section ‘C 5’ South, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, had been committed to stand High Court trial since 2013.

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In a letter dated February 13, 2017, DPP Mrs. Shalimar Ali-Hack remitted the matter to the magistrate to re-open the case via paper committal. Further, on the same date, the DPP issued a directive to the Guyana Police Force to obtain certified copies of the original documents before the re-opening of the paper committal.

Subsequent to the first preliminary inquiry held before Magistrate Alex Moore, it was discovered that original documents which were tendered during the PI had gone missing from the depositions. The DPP had also forwarded a report to Minister of Social Protection, Amna Ally, on the position of this matter.

The Imam’s pre-trial hearings were held in-camera at the Sparendaam Magistrate’s Court. After perusing the evidence brought before him during the preliminary inquiry, Magistrate Moore found that there was sufficient reason to send Ali for High Court trial. The decision came in 2013. The scholar was released on bail and the case was not called at the Demerara Assizes. It is alleged that between December 2011 and January 2012, Ali allegedly engaged in sexual penetration of a boy under the age of 12. The acts were allegedly committed while he was in a position of trust, being a religious teacher and knew or could be reasonably expected to have known of the trust in relation to the boys. The boys had been attending Arabic and Koran classes.