UDP Chairman says Public Should Stay Out of Police’s Rape Investigation Against Former Candidate

United Democratic Party Chairman, Michael Peyrefitte, says the public should stay out of the police’s investigation into rape allegations brought against a former UDP candidate. The well-known attorney was cast into the spotlight a week ago when he was accused of rape by two women. While no charges have been levied against the accused, the police have complied evidence and statements and sent them to the Director of Public Prosecutions for determination. Today, Peyrefitte was asked to weigh in on the incident and if he felt his party was being biased in its position on the matter.

Michael Peyrefitte, Chairman, UDP: “Well let me state categorically that even though I don’t consider myself to be well known or prominent it’s not me, to get that out of the way. Second of all the party has issued a statement and I want to stay with that statement. I don’t think that anything should be said in the middle of the police doing their investigation and information being sent to the DPP and the DPP deliberating on the matter. I think the matter is in the hands of the police and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions and I think that the entire public should just remain quiet and let them do their work and that’s my position in it. One would say this then why wasn’t there a police investigation into that matter ? There was no police investigation into that matter. No files were sent to the DPP to be considered. As a matter of fact furthest that this government went if I can remember correctly was that the Attorney General was going to do some inquiry into the situation. That is fair game at that point if you want to make sure that the police does not become involved especially when they were allegations purportedly of violence towards another person. But once there is an official complaint made to the police and once the police are deliberating and once the DPP is deliberating I don’t think that anybody should make any statement regarding that especially at this deliberation stage. Let it play out. Let the police and the DPP do their jobs and let them come up with an objective conclusion in the matter and so none of them can claim that anyone tried to influence them, not that I think that anyone can, but I say it is a serious matter let them do their job, let’s see what conclusion they come to.”

Peyrefitte noted that he believes the government is being biased and is dragging its feet into the allegations brought against Belize Rural South Area Representative Andre Perez.