Guyana gov’t formally complains to US about Rickford Burke

Last Updated on Monday, 12 August 2024, 22:37 by Denis Chabrol

asks FBI to prosecute him for false report
Burke demands that government produce the evidence

The Guyana government has asked the United States (US) for assistance to institute a series of charges in both countries against New York-based Guyanese political activist, Rickford Burke for several offences he has allegedly committed on social media.

“These authorities have been invited to explore all mutual legal facilities available in ensuring that these allegations are fully investigated and the relevant criminal proceedings instituted in both jurisdictions in order to ensure that justice is done in accordance with law,” the Guyana government said in a statement issued through the Attorney General Chambers.

In apparent response to a complaint that Mr Burke made to a department of the US Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) that he was being persecuted by the Irfaan Ali-led administration, the Guyana government said that on July 27, 2024, it lodged a “comprehensive report” against Mr. Burke with a number of US agencies including the Department of Justice, the State Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigations.

The Guyana government alleges that Mr Burke utters and publishes criminal incitements, excites racial hostilities and “widespread violence against different ethnic groups” of Guyana, domestic terrorism and wanton, malicious and defamatory attacks on the character and reputation of hundreds of outstanding Guyanese.

While acknowledging that the Guyana government has not seen Mr Burke’s complaint that he was being persecuted, the administration rejected his claim and presented details of his alleged involvement in at least one case of extortion. The Guyana government said it has since formally rejected his claim in a letter to the Desk Officer for Guyana and copied to the FBI, a number of functionaries within the US Department of State, the Department of Justice, Congressman Hakeem Jeffries, and the US Ambassador to Guyana, Nicole Theriot.

The Guyana government denied Mr Burke’s claim that the administration sent Guyana Police Force officers to his home in Brooklyn, New York to kidnap him. Instead, the administration here detailed that a police officer travelled to the US, obtained the services of a licensed process server who served the summons to Mr Burke while the officer stood more than 100 feet away and video recorded the process.

In terms of legal action against Mr Burke, the Guyana government asked the FBI to thoroughly investigate the “baseless, false and malicious complaint” and take the appropriate actions against him for filing such false and malicious reports.

The Ali administration said it viewed that matter very seriously and was seeking legal advice from US-based lawyers in order to seek legal address against Mr Burke. “The Government of Guyana responded to this report refuting the allegations of Mr. Burke as absolutely false
and wholly unfounded and considers them to constitute a malicious attack on the integrity, reputation, good name and international standing of the Government of Guyana.”

But Mr Burke described the government statement as “mendacious” and challenged Attorney General Anil Nandlall to “keep trying” to extradite him. Reacting specifically to the Guyana government’s complaint, he said, “I live in America, I have free speech, I don’t break the law, I am an outstanding, exemplary citizen of this country.”

Mr Burke denied being involved in extortion. “I don’t extort anybody, they do.” He demanded Guyana’s Attorney General to “produce your evidence” to support his complaint that he had extorted people, and called for widespread violence.