Acting Chief Magistrate Melissa Robertson yesterday granted self-bail to a civil engineer and his brother who are accused of erecting a makeshift concrete blockade outside the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) office in April.

Ken Thomas and his brother Kenrick Thomas, a contractor, both of 28-30 Public Road, Agricola, East Bank Demerara both pleaded not guilty to the charge of obstruction of public way. The brothers denied that they had put several concrete pillars in the way of the public in front of GECOM, High Street, Kingston, between April 14 and 15.

Their attorney Nigel Hughes told the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court that the charge against them had been instituted as a result of GECOM’s “unbelievable refusal” to pay the rent for the property that it is currently occupying. He said GECOM owes his clients, who are the owners of the said property, over $5.5M in rent. Hughes noted that GECOM had told his clients that the rent would be paid through the Ministry of Finance but that this has not been done.

Further, he said since the matter was a civil one it should be dealt with in a civil court. Hughes also said that the state, through GECOM, has demonstrated its powers towards his clients and that “it’s abuse of power on the largest scale.” He then requested that his clients be granted self-bail on the grounds that they operate their business in Guyana and that they pose no risk of flight.

The magistrate subsequently ordered that the defendants return to court on July 3.