A prominent Canadian aid worker’s appeal of his sexual assault convictions in Nepal has been delayed.
A friend of Peter Dalglish says the hearing, which had been scheduled for Tuesday, was pushed back about 10 days because the prosecution wasn’t ready to proceed.
Dalglish, who was made a member of the Order of Canada in 2016 for his charity work, was found guilty in June and sentenced to serve nine years in prison after spending more than a year in a jail near Kathmandu after being arrested.
Dalglish served time in the Dhulikhel jail, located on the outskirts of Kathmandu, following his arrest. (CBC)
Original reports said Dalglish was sentenced to serve 16 years, but that was later clarified.
He received two jail terms–for nine years and seven years–to be served concurrently.
The 62-year-old Dalglish, who is originally from London, Ontario, denies the charges and both he and his lawyers say there were numerous problems with the investigation and the trial.
Nepalese police arrested him in the early hours of April 8, 2018, at his mountain home in the village of Kartike, east of Kathmandu.
Up until his arrest on April 7, 2018, Dalglish was living in this mountain villa in Nepal. (CBC)
Police alleged he had raped two Nepalese boys aged 11 and 14, who were in his home.
Dalglish was the co-founder of the Canadian charity Street Kids International in 1988 and has worked for several humanitarian agencies, including UN Habitat in Afghanistan and the UN in Liberia.
One of his lawyers is Dennis Edney, who co-represented former Guantanamo detainee Omar Khadr.
With files from CP, CBC, Global
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