Media workers plead not guilty to extortion charges

Last Updated on Tuesday, 27 September 2022, 18:38 by Denis Chabrol

Two media workers, who police have accused of defamatory libel, were Tuesday charged and and granted GY$100,000 bail each, police said.

Alex Wayne,49, of Huntley village, Mahaicony, East Coast Demerara and 41-year old Marlon Gary Eleazar of 159 Da Silva Street, Newtown, Georgetown were charged jointly on September 27, 2022 with two counts of conspiracy to commit a felony contrary to Section 33 of the Criminal Law Offences Act 8:01.

Cove and John Magistrate Fabayo Azore granted the accused bail after she read the charges to them and they pleaded not guilty.  They have to return to court on November 1, 2022.

Legal sources have explained that they have been charged with Conspiracy to Commit A Felony contrary to section 33 of the Criminal Law Offences Act 8:01 for which the penalty would be under seven years  and the particulars of the offence are detailed under Section 11 of that law.

The particulars of the offences are that the duo between August 27 and September 23 at Lusignan, East Coast Demerara conspired with other persons and offered to abstain from publishing defamatory libel against Afras Mohamed with a view to extort GY$150,000 from him.

If found guilty, they could be sentenced to a maximum of three years imprisonment.

This is believed to be the first time in several decades that police have charged persons with defamatory libel.

Strident anti-government critic, Rickford Burke, who police said has been implicated by Mr Eleazar has denied any connections with the accused persons or managing the website and Facebook page of Guyana News Network.

Mr Burke’s name is being called at a time when the United States Marshalls Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigations have been holding a series of talks with the Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall over the past several months on matters such as the extradition of persons.

Sources have said that Guyana and the US hope to reciprocate cooperation under a Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty to hand over suspects for prosecution on both sides of the Atlantic.

Mr Burke has already scoffed at a Guyana Police Force wanted bulletin that was last December issued for him for a series of offences. He has cited the US’ constitutional guarantee to freedom of expression and an absence of extra-territorially enforceable laws to go after him.