Appearing before the Guyana Court of Appeal on Friday, Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Shalimar Ali-Hack SC maintained that her order directing that murder accused Marcus Bisram be committed to stand trial was lawfully made.
During the hearing via a Zoom meeting, Ali-Hack argued that the decision by Justice Simone Morris-Ramlall to nullify the DPP’s direction to Magistrate Renita Singh to reopen the preliminary inquiry into the charge that he was freed of was erroneous. She told the court that where there is a discharge of an accused person, the DPP may send for a deposition and the DPP may reopen the case if the DPP is of the opinion that there is enough evidence for the Magistrate to admit the person to trial. Additionally, the DPP may give further direction as he\she sees proper. The DPP may also add to, alter or revoke any direction, Ali-Hack argued. She referred to Section 72 (2) (i) and (ii) (a) and (b) of the Criminal Law Procedure Act, which empowers the DPP to order a Magistrate to re-open a PI and commit an accused for trial.
