GEORGETOWN, Guyana– Police say they want to question New York-based Guyanese political activist Rickford Burke as they continue their investigations into allegations that an attempt had been made by two media workers here to extort money from a local businessman
The two media workers, Alex Wayne, 49, and Gary Eleazar, 41, appeared before Magistrate Fabian Azore at the Cove and John Magistrate’s Court earlier this week with the prosecution alleging that between August 27 and September 23 they conspired together and with other persons published a defamatory libel against Afras Mohamed with an intent to extort the sum of GUY$150,000 (One Guyana dollar=US$0.004 cents).
They were each granted GUY$100,000 on each of the two charges, and if found guilty, they could be sentenced to a maximum of three years imprisonment. They will return to court on November 1.
On Monday, police issued a wanted bulletin for a 45-year-old businessman. He has been implicated by Eleazar and Wayne and is wanted for questioning about the publication of the alleged defamatory and libelous story.
In a statement issued late Thursday night, police said they want to question Burke for “conspiracy to commit a felony to wit publication of a defamatory libel to extort money.”
Police said Burke allegedly committed the offense on August 27, 2022, urging anyone who has information about the whereabouts of Burke to contact the law enforcement agencies.
But in a statement on Thursday night, Burke said that he was not afraid of a “plot” by certain members of the police force and members of the State’s legal fraternity to frame him as part of a transnational repression scheme to stop him from speaking out.
“They are hoping this second bulletin will criminalize me, diminish my influence and popularity, and silence me. They have severely miscalculated. The PPP (People’s Progressive Party) government and the minions in the Guyana Police Force will have to carry through with their conspiracy to kill me to silence me!” Burke said.
Burke has denied posting any content on the Facebook page of a media organization, nor has he been part of any effort to get money from the businessman.
This is the second Guyana Police Force (GPF) wanted bulletin to have been issued for Burke, who is viewed here as a thorn in the side of the PPP government, with the first in December 2021 when he was cited for the excitement of hostility or ill-will on the grounds of race in violation of the Racial Hostility Act; sedition, use of a computer system to intimidate in violation of the Cyber Crime Act; seditious libel, inciting the provocation of the breach of peace, and inciting public terror.
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