Muslim cleric released without additional bail after re-arrest
NIZAM Ali called ‘Mufti’, the Muslim cleric recently charged on three counts of rape allegedly committed on a similar number of boys at a masjid, was released Thursday night, after being re-arrested earlier in the day on more allegations of sexually molesting two other boys.
The accused, who had made his second Court appearance before Magistrate Alex Moore at Sparendaam, East Coast Demerara, was held, again, just after leaving the courtroom.
Ali was taken to Sparendaam Police Station but was set free, without being asked to post additional surety, pending investigation in further accusations that can lead to additional charges.
Attorney-at-law Mr. Peter Hugh, who is associated with Ms. Latchmie Rahamat, informed the Court that Ali was granted $250,000 bail by the High Court, because of his medical condition, after being previously denied pre-trial freedom on Wednesday.
On Thursday, February 2, Ali appeared in front of the same magistrate, charged with having sexual intercourse with three boys under the age of 12 years and was remanded to prison.
Particulars of the offences said he engaged himself in sexual intercourse with the under age boys at the Turkeyen Section ‘D’ masjid where they would, usually, take Islamic lessons from him.
It is alleged that Ali committed the acts between December 2011 and January 2012, while he was in a trusted position as a religious teacher and knew or could be reasonably expected to have known of the trust in relation to the boys.
Meanwhile, the children involved are still being kept by the Child Care and Protection Agency. The charges against Ali and his court appearances followed weeks of investigations, during which the police were criticised for undue delay in prosecuting him and Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Shalimar Ali-Hack recused herself from advising on the probe.
Ali, an employee of the Central Islamic Organisation of Guyana (CIOG), has been sent on leave pending the outcome of the cases.