‘Complain to police about Minister Dharamlall’- Pres Ali

Last Updated on Wednesday, 30 March 2022, 22:32 by Denis Chabrol

Even as the Alliance For Change (AFC) on Wednesday called on President Irfaan Ali to order an independent probe into Local Government Minister Nigel Dharamlall’s alleged disrespect for women, the Guyanese leader said the offended should go to the police.

“There is a procedure in dealing with these matters so those procedures have to be utilised and followed,” he told Demerara Waves Online News. He noted that anyone with allegations have to report them.

Mr. Dharamlall did not respond to WhatsApp requests for a comment.

Dr. Ali also told Demerara Waves Online News that Mr. Dharamlall had lost his phone. “The Minister would have said to me that his phone was lost and he also has some allegations of his own that he is making in terms of the totality of the conversation that took place,” the President said. “I am not going to be the judge of that on any side but if there is an allegation there is a place in which that allegation has to be made,” he said.

The woman on Facebook was allegedly being encouraged to visit him  at his hotel room in New York or travel to Guyana to be with him.

The Guyanese leader said he could not rely on Social Media where the allegations have been made against the Cabinet member. “If someone has an allegation against somebody in whatever shape or form they have to report those allegations

The Alliance For Change (AFC) wants the Minister of Local Government Nigel Dharamlall to step down to make way for an investigation into his conduct.

The AFC’s Women For Change  (WFC) aArm has dispatched an ‘open letter’ to President Irfaan Ali urging him to launch the probe.

A woman and her mother have come forward and have levelled a number of serious sexually-related accusations against him.

The WFC says when taken together with his comment in the National Assembly about a “dildo”, the allegation that he preyed on an overseas-based Guyanese, and his post against two female judges and his general approach indicates contempt for women. 

WFC tells the President that he needs to launch a full and impartial investigation into the conduct of Mr. Dharamlall and make the findings public.

In the meantime, the WFC is urging President Ali to remove Mr. Dharamlall from holding public office and representing the women and people of Guyana.