Criminal Charges Withdrawn From Geothermal Project Boss Ellsworth Dacon
Questions are being asked about the reason state prosecutors have withdrawn a criminal charge against the senior public servant, Ellsworth Dacon, who was project director of the failed geothermal project.
Dacon was arrested in July last year and charged that on June 30, 2020, at Queen’s Drive, he assaulted Timron Padmore of Rillan Hill, causing him actual bodily harm.
Dacon allegedly struck Padmore with appeared to be a metal resembling a firearm.
Dacon was granted station bail and ordered to appear before Senior Magistrate Rickie Burnett at the Kingstown Magistrate’s Court.
When he appeared in court on Monday 13th July, Dacon, represented by lawyer Grant Connell, pleaded not guilty.
The prosecutor then, police constable Corlene Samuel, asked that station bail be continued.
Senior Magistrate Burnett granted the application for station bail to continue and he set a trial date for October 20, 2020.
The matter came up a number of times but was adjourned to later dates.
When the matter came up before the Kingstown Magistrate Court last Friday, the prosecutor, sergeant of police Renwick Cato who is attached to the National Prosecution Service, told the court the prosecution was withdrawing the charge against Dacon.
Cato said he was instructed by the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions to withdraw the matter.
Over the years, it has been said that the prosecution can withdraw a matter without giving a reason.
The public had an interest in this case. The charge against the senior public servant was made public through police press release and press coverage, and members of the public had keen interest in seeing the conclusion.
When contacted in an attempt to get some clarification, Dacon’s lawyer Grant Connell said that it was not unusual for the prosecution to withdraw a charge without giving reason.
When follow-up questions were asked, Connell was very evasive.
Interestingly, on an occasion when the matter was called this year, Dacon and Padmore were not in court. Recently, Dacon’s name was called but he was not in court – although he was present earlier.
