Wazir Khan, the teacher who was convicted for sexual assault of a child, has been released on $250,000 bail pending the outcome of his appeal.
Bail was granted by Justice Priya Sewnarine-Beharry.
Khan, who was a teacher attached to a prominent private school, is challenging the three-year jail sentence he is facing for sexual assault of an underaged girl.
According to court documents seen by this publication, Khan – through his lawyer Dexter Todd – is contending that he was wrongfully convicted for the offence and is asking for an early hearing of the appeal.
Khan had initially denied the charge which alleged that on March 9, 2019, he engaged in sexual activity with a child under the age of 16, thereby abusing a position of trust.
According to the facts of the case, Khan braced his penis next to the young girl and squeezed her breasts and butt. He had been on trial for the offence before Magistrate Leron Daly at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.
He was eventually found guilty of the offence and jailed for three years and ordered to pay a fine of $1M.
However, the lawyer – in the appeal – is contending that the magistrate showed unconstrained human emotions with the victim’s evidence which created an unfair trial for Khan.
The lawyer also contends that magistrate made an error of law when she considered that there was a “strong suspicion” that Khan may well in fact committed the offence. This suspicion, the lawyer said, could not justify upholding a conviction in all the circumstances of the present case.
Attorney Todd has approached the High Court seeking bail for Khan pending his appeal. The case is scheduled to be called on Friday, December 18.
