Magistrate refuses second DPP order to commit “Grey Boy” to High Court trial for Crum-Ewing’s murder

Special Prosecutor, Nigel Hughes, told News Source today that the DPP issued a new direction to the Magistrate to commit Rodrigues for murder and the magistrate refused to comply with the order and has discharged him again. He said he finds the refusal by the Magistrate as both strange and unprecedented.

Magistrate refuses second DPP order to commit “Grey Boy” to High Court trial for Crum-Ewing’s murder

Georgetown Magistrate, Judy Latchman, today refused a second order from the Director of Public Prosecutions to commit murder accused, Reagan Rodrigues aka “Grey Boy”, to stand a High Court trial for the murder of activist Courtney Crum-Ewing.

Special Prosecutor, Nigel Hughes, told News Source today that the DPP issued a new direction to the Magistrate to commit Rodrigues for murder and the magistrate refused to comply with the order and has discharged him again.  He said he finds the refusal by the Magistrate as both strange and unprecedented.

On Tuesday, the Magistrate refused a similar order on the grounds that she had already discharged the matter.

But several legal minds and persons who would have served in law enforcement for several years, appeared shocked by the Magistrates’ position. The Laws of Guyana provide for the Director of Public Prosecutions to direct any Magistrate to commit a defendant to stand trial in the High Court.

In a post on Facebook, retired Assistant Commissioner of Police, Paul Slowe, said “something is definitely wrong! Let’s see where this will go. If my memory is correct, the constitution provides for the DPP to direct any Magistrate to commit a defendant to stand trial in the High Court. It is not a request, it is a direction, which the Magistrate is compelled to carry out.”

 

On Monday, the accused, Reagan Rodrigues aka “Grey Boy” was set free of the murder charge for a second time after the Magistrate ruled that a case had not been made out against him.  A similar dismissal was made back in January by another Magistrate.

Rodrigues has always maintained his innocence in the murder of the political activist. The activist, Courtney Crum-Ewing, was shot dead in March 2015 as he used a loud hailer in the Diamond community to encourage residents to vote against the People’s Progressive Party.

The investigation into his murder remains active, but investigators are confident that “Grey Boy” is the one responsible for the murder.

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