Former Region Four Chairman and current National Border Patrol Director Daniel Seeram was on Friday convicted of assaulting his former wife, Farzana Hamid, causing actual bodily harm, following a trial at the Sparendaam Magistrates’ Court.
Magistrate Abigail Gibbs ordered Seeram remanded to prison after finding him guilty of the 2023 assault. He is scheduled to return to court on November 2, 2026, at 10:30 a.m. for sentencing.
The case arose from a complaint filed by Hamid over an incident at the couple’s Cummings Lodge apartment on September 11, 2023. The couple has since divorced.
The court heard that Hamid had spent the previous day with Seeram, family and friends before they returned home. She testified that she was awakened during the early hours of September 11 by a sharp pain to her head and realised that Seeram was hitting her.
Hamid told the court that she began recording the incident on her cellphone, after which Seeram allegedly took the phone, threw it against a wall and later placed it in a toilet. She testified that she was assaulted repeatedly during the incident.
Evidence before the court indicated that Hamid sustained injuries to her left thigh, left upper arm and right breast, along with swelling to her left eye, wrist and upper arm. Her cellphone was shattered and the apartment was also damaged. Both parties subsequently reported the matter to police.
Seeram denied assaulting Hamid. He told the court that he had only pushed her while attempting to leave the apartment and maintained that she had been the aggressor.
He also suggested that Hamid had injured herself, including through a fall, but the magistrate found inconsistencies between those explanations and his earlier statement to police.
In her ruling, Magistrate Gibbs found Hamid to be a credible witness and said her injuries were consistent with the account she gave the court. The magistrate also found that the force used against Hamid went beyond a single push and concluded that Seeram had not acted in self-defence.
The court was satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that Seeram had unlawfully assaulted Hamid and convicted him of assault causing actual bodily harm.
Domestic violence remains a major concern
The conviction comes against the backdrop of persistent concerns over domestic and intimate-partner violence in Guyana.
Guyana’s national Women’s Health and Life Experiences Survey found that 55% of women had experienced physical and/or sexual intimate-partner violence during their lifetime, while 11% reported experiencing such violence within the previous 12 months at the time of the survey.
The United Nations has described violence against women and girls in Guyana as widespread, noting that harmful social norms contribute to the problem.
The issue remains a significant public policy concern. In 2024, Guyana recorded a 33% decline in homicides attributed to domestic violence, according to government figures, while the Ministry of Human Services said its Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Unit supported approximately 1,500 people that year.
From opposition politics to PPP support
Seeram’s conviction also comes after a notable political shift.
He served as Region Four Chairman as a representative of the APNU+AFC coalition, but switched his political allegiance to the governing PPP/C ahead of the 2025 General and Regional Elections.
His political transition attracted public attention at the time, as Seeram moved from an opposition-aligned position to publicly supporting President Irfaan Ali and the PPP/C.
In court on Friday, Seeram’s attorney, Nigel Hughes, asked Magistrate Gibbs to reconsider the decision to remand his client, pointing to Seeram’s national responsibilities as head of the Border Patrol Protection Unit and his record of attending court throughout the proceedings.
Prosecutor Ganesh Hira said the prosecution would be guided by the court’s decision but suggested that, if Seeram were released pending sentencing, he should report to police once a week.
Magistrate Gibbs was not persuaded and ordered Seeram remanded.
He will remain in custody pending his return to court on November 2, when the magistrate is expected to impose sentence.
