DIRECTOR of Public Prosecution, Ms Shalimar Ali-Hack, has advised that action was taken pursuant to an article published in the Kaieteur News of Thursday, December 25, 2014 under the caption, “Vigilante murder accused want new Prosecutor… as Preliminary Inquiry (PI) incomplete after almost two years”, wherein the accused were asking the Director of Public Prosecutions to appoint a new prosecutor.

The DPP has said the article alleged that the Special Prosecutor, Attorney-at-Law Nigel Hughes, “hardly turns up whenever the matter is called” and that “he keeps asking for new dates”, which resulted in several adjournments being granted.

The DPP further noted that Police Inspector Vishnu Hunt from the Chambers of the Director of Public Prosecutions had appeared at the Bartica Magistrate’s Court on the next adjourned date, which was January 7, 2015.

As a measure of precaution to avoid any further delay in the PI, the DPP has assigned Inspector Hunt to the PI in the event that Mr. Hughes does not appear.

Two separate PIs are being conducted in this matter before Magistrate Dellon Bess for the four accused persons. The first PI involves three accused – Vishnu Babu, Mohamed Razack and Chetram Diaram. The second involves Shawn Caesar, since he was arrested after the first PI had already commenced.

The next court date is scheduled for Friday, 23rd January, 2015.

(Ravin Singh)