A 28-year-old Linden mason appeared at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court yesterday charged with harbouring Rondell ‘Fineman’ Rawlins and his gang members and for being an accessory after the fact of murder.

Daniel De Souza

Daniel De Souza of Half-mile Extension, Wismar, Linden was not required to plead to the indictable charges of harbouring wanted persons and being an accessory after the fact of murder when they were read to him by Acting Chief Magistrate Melissa Robertson.

It is alleged that between April 22 and June 16 De Souza knowingly harboured Rondell ‘Fineman’ Rawlins, Cecil Semion Ramcharan known as ‘Magic Man’, Robin ‘Chung Boy’ Chung, Otis ‘Mud-up’ Fifee, and Mark Royden Williams known as Royden ‘Smallie’ Durant when the names and photographs were previously publicly displayed by the police as wanted persons in connection with the commission of murder.

Further, it is also alleged that between the same period at Wismar, Linden the accused did receive, provide relief, comfort, harbour, assist and maintain those whose names are stated above as well as Clerbert ‘Chi-chi’ Reece knowing that they had murdered Errol Thomas, Ronald Gomes, Ron Osborne, Shane Fredericks, Zaheer Zakir, Asharaf Ally Khan, Abdool Yasseen, Irvin Ferreira, Edwin Gilkes, Deonarine Singh and Baldeo Singh at Bartica on February 17.

De Souza sported a t-shirt which had the slogan “Live by the Code. Die by the Code”. After the charges were read to him he told the court that while he was not married he was the father of one child.

The accused said that he was in much pain and requested that the court do something to allow him to receive medical attention.

“I in lil pain,” De Souza said, “I bleeding through my right ear and I urinating blood plus my head paining because I was beaten by the police.”

The prosecution did not address the court during De Souza’s 10-minute appearance. De Souza was remanded and he has to appear at the Christianburg Magistrate’s Court on December 10.

“Why there?” De Souza wanted to know after the magistrate had made her announcement.

Magistrate Robertson then explained to the accused that his matters were transferred to the Christianburg Magis-trate’s Court because the crimes were allegedly committed in that court’s jurisdiction.

Gunmen, just after the Lusignan massacre in January, had invaded   Bartica early on the morning of February 17 and during their rampage murdered 12 persons.