Magistrate Chandra Sohan placed nine sugar workers on $5,000 bail each when they appeared before him at the New Amsterdam Court yesterday and pleaded not guilty to a charge of assembling for a disorderly purpose.
It is alleged that on April 14 the workers, George Southwell, Mahendra Sham, Bisham Bridgemohan, Shazad Ali, Fazir Ali, Nandalall Charrandas, Steve Braithwaite, Kumar Sanchara, Debra Simon and Leslyn Southwell, assembled with other persons for a disorderly purpose and did not disperse or move away when instructed by Senior Superintendent of Police Balram Persaud.
The defendants were all said to be part of a cost of living protest that started on Tuesday with some workers assembling in front of the National Insurance Scheme, the Guyana Power & Light and Freedom House in New Amsterdam.
Two other charges were also instituted against Shazad Ali, who on the same day, reportedly assaulted a peace officer and resisted arrest. Attorney-at-law John Persaud representing Ali argued that the offence is bailable. He said too that his client should be granted bail as there is a presumption of innocence.
He also submitted that there is ample evidence to prove that his client [whose left hand was bandaged] sustained injuries to his arm as a result of the police beating.
He said although Ali was beaten he was placed in confinement and was only sent to the hospital when he intervened.
Chief Police Prosecutor, ‘B’ Division, Inspector Fazil Karimbaksh, in reply admitted that Ali was beaten because he was disturbing the peace and resisting arrest. He said the police “beat him to subdue him because he violated an order to disperse.” The prosecutor said too that medical reports prove that Ali’s injuries were only swellings.
In his submissions, attorney-at-law Charrandas Persaud who entered an appearance on behalf of the other workers said that his clients were arrested on Wednesday around 6:30 am.
He said they were proceeding to the Reliance Police Station after learning that their colleagues were arrested when they were confronted by the police who beat them and “dumped” them in the lock-ups.
He further submitted that Prime Minister Samuel Hinds who addressed the protestors on Thursday had said that they would not be charged. Persaud asked that they be released on their own recognizance.
The prosecutor who informed the magistrate that he would “proceed as charged,” asked for reasonable bail to ensure the defendants’ attendance. He said the protestors were warned on Tuesday that the protest “was unlawful and they went away peacefully.”
He said they were also told to seek permission if they wanted to protest but instead they came out on Wednesday morning and blocked the road, preventing children from going to school.
Police had stated in a press release that nine persons were arrested “during an unlawful procession conducted by about 150 residents mainly from Canje, Berbice.”
The release said no permission was given for the march which commenced around 5:30 am from Betsy Ground, Canje along the main public road.
The protesters were subsequently stopped at Adelphi by the police who informed them that the procession was unlawful and that they should desist and disperse.
However, they refused and proceeded to block the roadway, preventing vehicles from passing, and began to make abusive remarks to the police ranks.
According to the release, “at this stage nine persons were arrested and the others dispersed. However, while doing so, they threw a number of obstacles including parts of derelict vehicles along the road.”
Karimbaksh also argued that if persons break the law the police have to deal with them. He requested reasonable bail to ensure their attendance.
Magistrate Sohan had initially placed the defendants on $10,000 each but Persaud stated that the police at the Reliance Station had sent them away on their own recognizance and they had all attended court.
He said too that his clients, who are all from the Reliance area and workers of the sugar estate, are not flight risks.
The magistrate then reduced the bail to $5,000 and ordered them to return to court on May 2.
He also commented that protest seems to be the order of the day and that if it is necessary and justified it needs to be done in an organized manner.
He said too that persons need to “follow the channel or moreso climb the ladder and let protest become the last resort.”
