Guyana’s Local Government minister Nigel Dharamlall has resigned as a Member of Parliament and Cabinet member.
The announcement was made on Tuesday by the country’s President, Dr Irfaan Ali.
Reports are that in June, a 16-year-old girl accused Dharamlall of rape, which the minister then denied.
Dharamlall, an executive member of the ruling People’s Progressive Party (PPP), went on leave to facilitate the investigations and was then arrested and placed on one million dollars bail.
However, last week, the police confirmed that the schoolgirl said she no longer wants to pursue the matter.
Media reports stated that the girl was taken for a round of forensic interviews with police and other authorities at Blossom Inc, the leading child advocacy body in Guyana.
It is further reported that afterward, “she was unnecessarily shunted to another advocacy group-Child Link to answer the same questions she had been asked during several rounds of questioning”.
On Tuesday, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) announced that she will not pursue any charges against the minister based on what is presented to her.
Guyana’s President, on the other hand, said that Minister Dharamlall will tender his resignation since the government’s interests are vital to him and he does not want people to bring the government into disrepute.
Dharamlall further told President Ali that he has been affected personally by the allegations made.
The Minister has asked to resign as a Member of the Cabinet and Member of Parliament. His resignation has been accepted by President Ali.
