Former Mayor of Georgetown Pandit Ubraj Narine and Opposition Member of Parliament Sherod Duncan were today cleared of all charges related to exciting racial hostility and alleged cybercrime, in a ruling delivered by Magistrate Leron Daly at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.
The charges, filed in 2022, stemmed from public remarks made by Narine during a protest advocating for street vendors outside the Georgetown Public Hospital. At the time, Mr. Narine questioned what he described as unequal treatment by President Irfaan Ali, contrasting the handling of vendors with the treatment of sugar workers and speedboat operators.
Narine also publicly raised the question of whether the President’s reluctance to engage with him stemmed from religious bias, noting his own Hindu faith and the President’s Muslim background.
Magistrate Daly, in her decision, found that the prosecution failed to present sufficient evidence to support any claim that either Mr. Narine or Mr. Duncan incited or attempted to incite racial hostility.
“There was no hostility,” Magistrate Daly stated in court. “I could not find evidence that hostility was excited by the accused.”
The magistrate also ruled that there was no merit to the accompanying cybercrime charge, determining that the video shared by the two opposition figures did not amount to a criminal offense under the Cyber Crime Act.
Attorney-at-law Darren Wade, who represented Mr. Narine, welcomed the court’s decision, arguing that the charges were politically motivated from the start.
“This verdict reaffirms that speaking up against perceived injustices is not a crime,” Wade said. “Mr. Narine remains committed to the people of Guyana and their democratic freedoms.”
The filing of the charges in 2022 led to Mr. Narine’s removal as a Reserve Member of the Guyana Defence Force—a move that sparked criticism from civil society groups and political observers who described it as punitive and unjustified.
The initial charges had claimed that Mr. Narine and Mr. Duncan had intentionally transmitted a video with the intention of inciting racial division. Both were granted bail of $100,000 at the time and were not required to enter a plea to the indictable charge.
Opposition leaders had long contended that the case was baseless and part of a broader pattern of political persecution.
With the case now dismissed, Mr. Narine expressed gratitude for the public support he received during the legal process and reaffirmed his commitment to national unity and continued public service.
