Contractor sues State for GY$100 million for wrongful detention over Adriana Younge

Last Updated on Wednesday, 7 May 2025, 21:36 by Writer

The driver of the car, who was arrested in connection with a Guyana Police Force official account that 11-year-0ld Adriana Younge was seen on April 23 entering the vehicle he was driving, has slapped the State with a GY$100 million lawsuit for his false arrest and wrongful detention in violation of Guyana’s Constitution.

In a Fixed Date Application, Deon Mario Jeffrey said he was stopped by police at about 6:15 am on April 24 and taken to the La Grange Police Station, “where he was held in custody” until about 6:30 pm when he was released.

He said he “felt humiliated and distressed as a result of the entire ordeal.”

The respondent is the Attorney General.

The Applicant also hoped that the High Court would additionally award him exemplary and aggravated damages.

Younge’s body was found in a hotel pool on April 24.

Through Mr Jeffrey’s lawyer, Darren Wade, he said that on April 23, the Guyana Police Force informed both the public and the family that Adriana Younge had left the Double Day hotel in a red Toyota Raum bearing registration number PSS 4684 which he rented from Sheif Jamel Mohamad Yusuf.

He noted that the Police Force later released a second press statement stating that the press release that was given was made in error.

Mr Jeffrey said that as a result of the first police statement, he lost two contracts totalling GY$775,000 because of the purported criminal label that was attached to him.

One was a GY$500,000 contract for the embankment of a drainage system and the casting of a bridge at La Parfaite Harmonie, West Bank Demerara.

The contractor said the man, who had hired him, later “informed him that, due to the reported incident involving the missing child, he no longer wished to proceed with the project and did not want to be associated with any criminal activity.”

The second was for internal ceiling design work at Schoonord Housing Scheme.

Mr Jeffrey said the hirer informed him that he had “seen the news reports regarding the incident and expressed fear that the Applicant might attempt to abduct one of his children.”

Mr Jeffrey asserts that the police had no reasonable or lawful grounds for his arrest and detention and he was not involved in any criminal activity and states that this was the first time he had ever been arrested.

He said his right to equal protection under the law as guaranteed under Article 149(D), his right to liberty as guaranteed under Article 139, and his right to freedom of movement as guaranteed under Article 148 of Guyana’s Constitution were breached.