The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has advised the police that Speaker of the National Assembly Manzoor Nadir should use the Standing Orders of Parliament to address the assault complaint by APNU+AFC MP Tabitha Sarabo-Halley against Minister of Public Affairs Kwame McCoy.
Stabroek News was reliably informed that the recommendation was made by the DPP, who has since returned the case file in the matter to the police.
A reading of the Standing Orders by Stabroek News does not suggest that there are any provisions for Nadir to address a criminal complaint.
Contacted yesterday, the Speaker told Stabroek News that he had not yet received any information on such advice from the DPP.
“……So I don’t know what she (DPP) said,” he said.
As such, Nadir noted that he won’t be able to comment on the matter. He however suggested that this newspaper check back with him early in the new week.
Last Wednesday, it was alleged that McCoy assaulted Sarabo-Halley in the corridors of the Arthur Chung Conference Centre just outside the parliamentary proceedings which were taking place in the main conference hall.
McCoy later issued a statement denying he had assaulted Sarabo-Halley, the former minister of the public service.
Minister of Human Services and Social Security Dr. Vindhya Persaud last Saturday said that her ministry will stand by the findings of the investigations into alleged assault.
Persaud made this remark at the opening ceremony of the ‘We Lift’ event which was held in observation of International Women’s Day.
She said that the incident between Sarabo-Halley and McCoy gave rise to two different stories and added that an investigation was done on the night of the incident. “The Ministry of Human Services and Social Security is committed to taking every report seriously and we will do so and we are committed to standing by the investigation carried out by the police,” Persaud stated.
