Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum has confirmed that the Guyana Police Force is in receipt of a criminal complaint alleging rape and sexual assault that was filed against former Minister of Local Government, Nigel Dharamlall.

After refusing to answer questions on the allegations for the past three days, the Guyana Police Force broke its silence this morning by indicating that the Crime Chief has confirmed that a formal report was made by the alleged victim to Police at the Cove and John Police Station.

The Crime Chief noted that the allegations are serious and the matter is under active investigation.

On Friday, former Local Government Ministry employee, Sarah Aneesah Hakh, told a media conference that she had officially filed a Police complaint detailing two cases of sexual assault that she said was allegedly committed against her by Mr. Dharamlall. She said the incidents took place in 2020 and 2021.

In a statement that was issued hours after the press conference by Ms. Hakh, Dharamlall who was recently elected to the Executive of the governing People’s Progressive Party, denied the sexual assault allegations and claimed that the young woman who made the allegations was upset that he turned down her advances.

In July 2023, Dharamlall was forced to resign as a Government Minister and a Member of Parliament after a teenage school girl made similar sexual assault allegations against him. He also denied those allegations, and the complainant eventually recanted her claims just as charges were being prepared for filing. There were reports that a financial settlement might have been reached in that case.

The teenage girl had however detailed her allegations to at least two women right’s organisations and a number of officials.

In 2022, a New York based woman had also complained about being sexually harassed by Dharamlall on Facebook. In her allegations, she said just after she had clicked like on a post made by the then Minister, he reached out to her and invited her to meet with him at his hotel room during a New York visit.

The woman provided screen grabs of the conversation, and also revealed that the politician shared nude images of himself with her while requesting that she do the same. She said she blocked his advances and wanted the matter probed, but there was never any investigation, she later claimed.

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