Thursday March 28, 2024 was the date the defendant summons, allegedly served on Mr. Rickford Burke requiring his attendance at the Vigilance Magistrates’ Court, East Coast Demerara, was to have been heard.
Last year Burke, who is President of the Caribbean Guyana Institute for Democracy (CGID) was charged with conspiracy with other persons to publish defamatory libel with a view to extort money and conspiracy with other persons to offer to abstain from publishing defamatory libel with a view to extort money.
In a statement release by one of Burke’s attorney Mrs. Dawn Cush, it was stated the summon which was allegedly served on Burke at his home in Brooklyn, New York, USA was issued by Magistrate Fabayo Azore at the Vigilance Magistrate’s Court to be served on Burke at an address at Fellowship, West Coast Demerara.
When the matter was called before Magistrate Fabayo Azore, Burke who was not present, was represented by Cush, along with Mr. Roysdale Forde, S.C. and Ms. Sasha King named in the civil proceedings in the Guyana High Court, against the Attorney General and Magistrate Fabayo Azore.
The First Respondent, Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs Mr. Anil Nandlall, was represented in court by Mr. Darsahan Ramdhani, K.C.
The Magistrate indicated that she is deferring the hearing pending the outcome of the civil proceedings in the High Court, adjourned the matter to April 22, 2024 and declined to hear any submissions from Ramdhani, K.C.
The civil proceedings filed by Burke’s attorneys seek to quash the defendant summons allegedly served on Burke and that resort to Criminal Defamation to protect individual reputation is unnecessary, disproportionate, excessive and reasonably justified and or required to protect reputations, rights and freedoms of other persons and thereby unconstitutional.
