President Bharrat Jagdeo yesterday announced a pardon for treason accused Phillip Bynoe, almost six years after he allegedly led a violent protest march on the Office of the President (OP) that resulted in the death of two people.
Bynoe, who has been on the run since the July 3, 2002 incident, had been writing to the President over the last year, expressing remorse while appealing for clemency. The former leader of the People’s Solidarity Move-ment was charged in absentia with the capital offence, while his co-accused Mark Benschop, who turned himself over to authorities, received a presidential pardon last year while awaiting a retrial.
A statement released by the OP last evening said that acting in accordance with the powers granted to him under Article 188 of the Consti-tution, President Jagdeo has “granted a free pardon to Mr Phillip Bynoe.” The statement added that Bynoe has been writing to the President since 2007, applying to him for a pardon. “In his appeals, Mr Bynoe informed the President about his remorse over the incident; the invasion of the [OP], and the destruction of public property. He also recognised that the event was an attack on a democratic institution of the state and not directed at the President.”
Under Article 188 1 (A) the President has the power to grant any person concerned in or convicted of any offence under the law of Guyana a pardon either free or subject to lawful condition.
Yesterday, President Jagdeo met Opposition leader Robert Corbin to provide a briefing on climate change. Corbin, who promised a fuller statement on the meeting, when asked whether the Bynoe pardon had been discussed, said he had not heard of the announcement and had no comment to make on it.
Last August, President Jagdeo had granted a pardon to Benschop, who had been in prison while awaiting a second trial after the first ended in a hung-jury. He had been imprisoned for five years. Although Bynoe has successfully eluded law enforcement authorities, there have been numerous reports over the years of sightings in Linden and other locations.
At the announcement of the Benschop pardon, Presi-dent Jagdeo was asked whether he would extend a pardon to Bynoe. He replied in the negative, saying he would have to face due process of the courts.
Benschop had also written to Jagdeo, who said he felt the former talk show host had learned his lesson. The President described the decision to free Benschop unconditionally as a personal one, admitting that he still believed that both men were involved in the invasion of the OP. He said: “He [Benschop] was involved. I think he was and I have always said that they [Bynoe and Benschop] led those people here and caused two of them to lose their lives.”
He added of Benschop: “It has nothing to do with the judicial process. I feel he was guilty of misleading those people and bringing them here. I am exercising the presidential pardon and not a judicial pardon. The judiciary has the right to say he is guilty or not guilty but personally, I feel that he had a significant role to play.”
According to the particulars of the treason charge, contrary to Section 318 (a) of the Criminal Law Offences Act (CLOA), Bynoe between June 1 and July 3, 2003, being a citizen of Guyana and owing allegiance to the state of Guyana, formed an intention to overthrow the lawfully elected Government of Guyana by force. During the said period, in furtherance of the aforesaid intention, he allegedly: (A) Conspired together with persons to forcibly and unlawfully enter into the compound and premises of the OP; (B) Was present at and encouraged others by words and conduct, to unlawfully overtake and storm the OP compound and premises.
I guess they can’t catch him, so the best thing is to pardon him and end of the story, although i believe the charges were bogus.
Some things are better left unsaid. Who knows, knows.
amen-ra, I am on your side here. Many know that the charges were bogus. I am reading some of the blogs and shaking my head.
Parmnand Dholichand says: GOD is a forgiven GOD .Jagdeo is a forgiven president.Jagdeo is a great president.
The Vatican recalls an incident when LFSB walked into the OP one day and surprised some staff “talking his name”. He overheard one poor girl saying, “Who de hell he t’ink he is, God?” Later that day LFSB called her into his office and told her, “I am not God, God forgives.” She was fired.
and you said that to say what. If you were a boss and you come in and find your employees talkin bad about you what would you do my friend, be honest with yourself and tell us what would you do.
Mr Bynoe informed the President about his remorse over the incident; the invasion of the [OP], and the destruction of public property. He also recognised that the event was an attack on a democratic institution of the state and not directed at the President.”
This is Bynoe’s words according to news paper reports……..
So,do we have an elected dictator as Freddie and others called it or is it true Democracy at work here?
Amen-ra….u said:::I guess they can’t catch him, so the best thing is to pardon him and end of the story, although i believe the charges were bogus.
I am wiling to bet you that those very police officers in Guyana can ketch him “if they wanted to” dont fool yourself…most police officers know a lot of criminals and their criminal activities..lets see if he will try an attack on democracy again….
democracy???, what democracy, a democracy is ruled by its people, and not by a single person or a party, look it up in the dictionary, and if you’r insinuating that the police in guyana knows where to find the criminals?, then how come the police took so long to find fine man and his gang?? in a true democracy you can say whatever you like against the president or govt and would’nt get kicked into prison and left there for years without a trial, another thing, how can the president pardon someone who was never arrested and sentenced to prison, democracy??, i think not, more like hipocracy.
schuuupss, so if they know why didn’t the catch him, during the fineman saga it was reported he was in the area, why didn’t they apprehend him also.
THESE CRITICS ENJOY A BEAUTIFUL LIFE UNDER THE PNC REGIME, NOW THEY ARE ASHAMED TO SUPPORT THE SAME REGIME THAT THEY ONCE PROSPER UNDER, THE GOOD JOBS ETC.
NOW THE TABLE TURN AND ITS A HELL HOLE, THE SAME PEOPLE ARE STILL WORKING IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR NO MASS FIRING OR LAY OFFS, YET THEY CRY FOUL.
THEY ARE JUST NOT SATISFY, THEY ARE GREEDY JUST WANTS IT ALL, ALL THE TIME.
WO, this other misguided wannabe politricktion has a lot of luck…or is the President feeling the high of the Festive Season already?
These people shouldn’t be treated so nicely after provoking violence causing deaths and dissent when they can’t get things their way what they want.
So now, who is gonna pay for the deaths of those two people? This will make others who so desperately want to cause instability in the country to go ahead and do it. The purpose of the law is to deter crime – ALL crime, and to send a message to persons who intend to do crime of the circumstances.
Where is the example set here? What’s the message? It’s now OK to break the laws of Guyana…all you need to do is wait it out and write the President, he’ll pardon you.
Next – Oliver Hinkson.
wow…
I watched the Oliver Hinckson speech which got him arrested on youtube.com.
If you think there was a crime in anything he said, then “freedom of speech” is a joke.
FYI dissent is at the cornerstone of any democracy…
To stifle “dissent” is to stifle “democracy”…
lets get the grass-roots going locally in Guyana.
Natty will ride again….
In a democracy the people have a right to protest the govt if it aint acting right,and that’s why they protested.
really…
“GOD is a forgiven GOD .Jagdeo is a forgiven president.Jagdeo is a great president’ ipso facto Jagdeo is GOD: what nonsense!
Andy you hit the monkey on the nose! My question is what is the quid pro quo for this PR effort of Office of the Presient, that had Bynoe reduce to such obsequious pandering- a ‘normal’ life? Or, perhaps the knowledge that in Guyana a ‘Wanted” is virtually a death warrant! I imagine it takes a person with steel in their heart and fire in their belly to admit to a ‘crime’ they did not do just to save their life, when all that is required is an admission to a fase accusation!
Were these the days of Atta!
It is very unfortunate and unfair that Mark wasted five years of his life in Camp Street.
Mr. President, as the Commander-in-Chief, your decision to pardon Mr. Bynoe, who was trying to subvert the democratic process and was charged with TREASON, is sending the wrong message to those who will try it again. He was on the run for six years. Innocent people do not run. By your action, you’ve awaken a “sleeping giant;”
I was always curious about Mark being pardoned and now Bynoe and they were never convicted of the alleged crimes. Can they be pardoned and they were never found guilty of crime and were never sentenced?
See my article above…it will answer your question…
The big question is how best can the leaders of today heal this nation that has been destroyed by racial and political opportunism ,are they prepare to move beyond their narrow and selfish political agendas and turn this nation around , before it’s to late ? This is what Guyana needs ,to live in unity , as one people , one nation , with one destiny .Let’s unite the races and save Guyana,let’s bury hatred and animosity and save our children’s future.Good will only come if we learn to resolve our differences through negotiation and cooperation.