Muslim scholar found not guilty of raping boy, 6

Muslim scholar, Nezaam Ali, who is currently serving a 45 years jail sentence for child rape, was on Friday, found not guilty of sodomizing a six-year-old boy in 2011.

Ali, 37, also known as ‘Mufti,’ a former Imam of Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, was on trial before Justice Priya Sewnarine-Beharry and a 12-member jury at the Demerara High Court.

He had denied that between December 2 and 31, 2011, in the county of Demerara, while being in a position of trust, engaged in sexual activity with the victim.

Ali had also denied an alternative count of rape of a child under the age of 16.

On Friday afternoon, a 12-member jury, after deliberating for over two hours, found Ali not guilty of the crime. He was represented by attorneys-at-law Dexter Todd and Dexter Smartt.

In March 2019, Ali was sentenced to 45 years imprisonment by Justice Navindra Singh after a jury found him guilty of raping a nine-year-old boy in 2011.

According to reports, Ali taught Arabic and Quran classes and the victims were his students.  It is alleged that Ali raped the victims in a storeroom located in the Turkeyen Masjid.

Ali currently has similar charges against him, which are expected to be called at the next practical sitting of the Demerara Assizes.