The Guyana Police Force in a statement that reeks of threat and propaganda states United States of America (USA)-based Guyanese Rickford Burke was served two summons on his premises in Brooklyn, New York to appear in Guyana’s Magistrates Court on 28th March 2024. According to the Police, on the 13th day of December, 2023 Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Rodwell Sarabo left Guyana and travelled to the USA with both defendant summons in his possession
According to the Police on 16th December 2023, Sarabo met with Mark Wesserman, a Process Server based in the USA and they served both defendant summons on Burke at his home address at Maple Street, Brooklyn, New York. The police said both defendant summons were read to Burke and he said he understood.
The Police has called Burke, President of the USA-based Caribbean Guyana Institute for Democracy (CGID), a “fugitive.” A fugitive as defined by Merriam Webster Dictionary is “a person who flees a country or location to escape danger (such as war) or persecution: refugee. b. : a person (such as a suspect, witness, or defendant) involved in a criminal case who tries to elude law enforcement especially by fleeing the jurisdiction. called also fugitive from justice.”
Burke’s last trip to Guyana was in 1998. He migrated to the USA in 1992. It begs the question how he is being called a “fugitive.”
On 3rd December 2021, the Guyana Police Force issued a 𝐖𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐁𝐮𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐧 for Burke in relation to the following offences:
- The excitement of hostility or ill-will on the grounds of Race, under the Racial Hostility Act.
- Sedition under the Cyber Crime Act.
- Use of a computer system to coerce and intimidate a person, under the Cyber Crime Act.
- Seditious Libel contrary to common law.
- Seditious Libel under the peace under the Summary Jurisdiction Offences Act
- Inciting public terror under the Criminal Law Offences Act
According to the Police, on 29 th 2022, a Wanted Bulletin was issued for Burke in relation to the offence of Conspiracy to Commit a Felony, Contrary to Section 33 of the Criminal Law (Offences) Act, Chapter 8:01 with regards to the publication of defamatory libel in order to extort money from Afras Mohammed.
Subsequently, on 18th August, 2023, two charges were filed at the Vigilance Magistrate’s Court against Burke for the said offence.
And given Burke resided in the USA, the police said the Magistrate ordered that the ‘defendant summons’ be prepared and served on Burke to attend the Vigilance Magistrate’s court on 28th March 2024.
Ending on an ominous note, clearly intended to intimidate, the Guyana Police Force said it “wishes to make it known that a similar course of action will be adopted against persons who are outside of the jurisdiction and engage in criminal conduct.”
Burke in an interview with Village Voice News says “I’m not afraid of the threats or summons.” He told this publication “the USA is not a nation of outlaws and pseudo gangsters,” and he awaits an investigation by the USA authorities even as he partners with local attorneys to secure his rights. According to him, this is not a matter of service of notice from Guyana; “the Guyana Police Force has no jurisdiction in the USA.” Burke says “this is a criminal matter where they have invaded my residence.”
