Director of Public Prosecutions indicates she will stand aside in Ramnarace double murder case

Published by BBNTEAM at January 7, 2023

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Posted: Saturday, January 7, 2023. 9:52 am CST.

By Aaron Humes: This week, Director of Public Prosecutions Cheryl-Lynn Vidal confirmed to reporters that she would stand aside from participating in the expected murder trial of nephew-in-law and Corporal of Police Elmer Nah, who is charged in the double murder and attempted murder of Jon and David Ramnarace and their spouses on December 31 in Belmopan.

Nah is on remand on two counts of murder, one count of attempted murder, one count of dangerous harm and one count of deadly means of harm. He vehemently, and at his appearance in court earlier this week publicly, denies involvement.

But because the DPP is, however distantly, related to him through her estranged husband, former Assistant Commissioner Marco Vidal, Minister of Home Affairs Kareem Musa explained at the Police Department’s press conference on Tuesday that a special prosecutor will be contracted for the case. Minister Musa said, “while it is that the DPP may, on her own, want to recuse herself from this case because of her relationship through marriage, we are taking no chances and in fact, we will be hiring a special prosecutor for this case, of course, in conjunction with the [Ramnarace] family.”

And the Director told LOVE FM that she agrees. In a statement, she explained, “There must never be even the slightest perception of bias when justice is concerned. I would not have had anything whatsoever to do with the matter but I am grateful that consideration has been given to relieving my Office altogether from dealing with the case. I am certain that this course will bring some degree of comfort to the family who would, understandably, be concerned that the person in charge of prosecutions is connected, albeit now remotely, to the alleged perpetrator.”

The DPP previously had to similarly recuse herself when her former bodyguard was among those charged in the November 2021 drug plane landing on the Southern Highway in Bladen village.

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