A 16-year-old school girl in an open-letter to President Irfaan Ali has alleged being groomed, preyed upon and sexually assaulted by Minister of Local Government, Nigel Dharamlall.

News Source made repeated efforts to get a comment from the Minister. Both of his known phone numbers went to voicemail on several occasions.

There are reports that the President and the Minister of Education have both been made aware of the allegations. A senior Education Official reached out to the girl to set up a meeting with the Education Minister, News Source has learned.

In the letter, which was seen by News Source, the teenager detailed being allegedly contacted by the Minister via WhatsApp and Facebook and conversations taking place between the two. She also detailed meetings that allegedly took place at his office and financial gifts being thrown at her.

She also detailed being taken to the home of the Minister and allegedly being forced to perform sexual acts by him and eventually being allegedly sexually assaulted by him. In the letter she said she was raped and left feeling broken after the alleged incident at the house back in December.

The teenager attached various messages from her phone and social media accounts that were allegedly sent by the Minister. She complained of being hounded down by him repeatedly with phone calls and messages. She also said that before the alleged sexual assault, herself and other teenage girls had been warned by two other senior Government officials about him.

In a statement, President Irfaan Ali said while he has seen reports of the allegations, he has not received any formal complaint. However, he noted that any complaint will be fully investigated by the relevant authorities.

Opposition Member of Parliament with responsibility for Public Security matters, Geeta Chandan-Edmond in a statement said she has been left appalled by the allegations against Minister Nigel Dharamlall.

She said she will seek to gather additional information about the allegations to complete a thorough legal assessment of the facts

“Upon completion of this examination, I shall proceed to ensure that all the necessary legal actions are taken to ensure that justice is done. The exploitation of our girls is reprehensible and where this occurs, at any level, should be cause for concern, investigations and legal referrals based on the facts that emerge”, the Member of Parliament said.

Meanwhile, News Source understands that the Government Minister at the centre of the serious allegations has reportedly reached out to the parents of the young girl. There are also reports that efforts were being made to get the teen to recant the allegations.

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