Attorney-at-law Nigel Hughes has confirmed that his client, Daniel Seeram, the National Border Patrol Director and former Region Four Chairman, is “in the prison”, but did not identify the facility holding the convicted official. The disclosure leaves critical questions unanswered about where Seeram is being detained and when the court’s remand order was finally executed.
Hughes, Seeram’s lead defence counsel, confirmed to Kaieteur News that his client is serving pre-sentencing detention in accordance with rulings by both the Magistrate’s Court and the High Court. However, sources at Lusignan Prison told the publication that Seeram had not been taken there.
The latest confirmation follows a controversy sparked by Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed, who said in a social media post on October 5 that checks at Lusignan Prison and Camp Street Prison in Georgetown indicated Seeram was not being held at either facility. Senior prison officials had confirmed Seeram had not been handed over by the police following the High Court ruling.
Hughes’ statement indicates that Seeram is now in a prison facility, but he has not disclosed which one or when his client was transferred. The authorities have not provided a clear public account of the circumstances surrounding his admission into prison.
Manickchand questions equal treatment
The controversy has also drawn comment from Minister of Local Government and Regional Development Priya Manickchand, who addressed the matter in a social media post.
Manickchand questioned whether the usual legal procedures were being followed after Seeram’s conviction and the decision to remand him pending sentencing. While acknowledging his right to pursue legal remedies, she questioned whether an order staying the remand had been made or sought.
“I don’t know what the facts are between Mr Seeram and the complainant. And I don’t need to know,” she said, noting that the court had heard the case, found Seeram guilty and ordered him remanded pending sentence.
She warned against making exceptions for particular individuals.
“Every single time we offer a ‘but this one is different’ we halt the progress we should be making. And it is time we stop.”
Manickchand also argued that the handling of such cases has implications for women who report domestic violence, saying victims must have confidence that their rights will be protected regardless of an accused person’s status or access to high-profile legal representation.
High Court upheld remand order
Seeram was found guilty on October 2 by Magistrate Abigail Gibbs of assault causing actual bodily harm against his former wife, Farzana Hamid. The case arose from an incident at their Cummings Lodge residence on September 11, 2023. He was remanded pending sentencing, scheduled for November 2, 2026.
Hughes subsequently applied to the High Court for judicial review of the magistrate’s decision, arguing that Seeram should not have been remanded before the court received the probation report, victim-impact statement and submissions on mitigating and aggravating circumstances.
On October 5, Justice Joy Persaud-Singh dismissed the application, finding no indication that Magistrate Gibbs had acted unlawfully, irrationally or outside her jurisdiction. The decision to refuse bail pending sentencing was upheld.
The unresolved issue is why the authorities’ earlier accounts of Seeram’s custody differed from Hughes’ subsequent confirmation. An authoritative explanation from the Guyana Police Force and the Guyana Prison Service would establish when he was transferred and where he is being held.
Seeram is scheduled to return to the Sparendaam Magistrate’s Court on November 2 for sentencing.
