Latest update November 13th, 2024 1:00 AM
High Court dismisses Detective Bascom’s case filed against the DPP
Crime Chief, Wendell Blanhum, Detective Sergeant, Dion Bascom and Director of the Public Prosecutions, Shalimar Ali Hack, SC.
Kaieteur News – The High Court on Friday dismissed a case filed by Detective Sergeant, Dion Basom against the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) Shalimar Ali Hack, SC where he accused her of abusing her powers by failing to contact him or his legal team concerning statements he made about Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum. Bascom was ordered to pay costs.
The ruling was handed down by Justice Damone F.J. Younge.
Bascom asked the court to quash the DPP’s decision to discontinue private criminal charges he had filed in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court against Crime Chief Blanhum on September 14, 2022.
Two days later, the DPP wrote the Chief Magistrate at the time, Ann McLennan, to discontinue the case against Blanhum. Bascom argued that the DPP abused her powers by doing so. He contended that she discontinued the case without reviewing the evidence which he had against Blanhum.
Bascom subsequently filed for Judicial Review on October 14, 2022 seeking the High Court to decide whether the DPP erred in her decision. He was represented by attorney Nigel Hughes.
However, on Friday after reviewing the submissions made by Bascom’s legal team and the DPP’s, Justice Younge ruled that the DPP acted well within her power to discontinue the private criminal charges.
“There is no evidence adduced that establishes that the Respondent (DPP) acted in bad faith or for an improper purpose, or that she acted illegally, irrationally or unfairly”, Justice Damone F.J. Younge said before dismissing the case.
Bascom had accused the Crime Chief of cyberbullying him by making false statements using a computer.
The false statements that Bascom referred to were made at an August 2022 press conference held by the Guyana Police Force to clarify details surrounding its investigation into the March 2021 murder of Ricardo Fagundes – a close associate of Roger Khan.
Bascom had accused the Force of being corrupt in its investigation of the murder and named the Crime Chief and other top ranking police officials who subsequently refuted the allegations.
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