2011 assault on Mark Benschop…Kwame McCoy to go on trial from Jan.26

Jan 14, 2017 Court Stories, Features / Columnists, News

Kwame McCoy, former People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Information Liaison officer, will go on trial come January 26, in relation to assaulting, stealing, and damaging property belonging to Mark Benschop, a social activist.
This trial date was set by Magistrate Annette Singh yesterday. She is presiding over Courts 10 and 11 at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.
The first charge against McCoy alleges that on March 5, 2011 at Diamond New Scheme, East Bank Demerara, he damaged a motor vehicle belonging to Benschop. It was further alleged that on March 5, 2011 at the same location, he stole an Acer laptop valued $120,000 property of Benschop. And the final charge alleges that on the same day at the said location McCoy unlawfully assaulted the social activist.
The incident allegedly occurred outside McCoy’s home while Benschop was attempting to take photographs of McCoy’s residence. It was reported that at the time of the attack Benschop was running an online radio and a website and was investigating reports that McCoy was building a house worth $100M.
Benschop had alleged that while he was taking the photographs, McCoy and two other individuals assaulted him. He said that McCoy was one of the individuals who smashed his vehicle window and made off with his computer and other valuables from the vehicle.
McCoy who resides at Lot 336 Section ‘A’ Diamond, East Bank Demerara is out on a total of $275,000 bail – $200,000 on the first charge, $50,000 on the simple larceny charge and $25,000 on the unlawful assault charge. The charges against McCoy came based on advice from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP)
This matter was first called on April 27, 2016 before Magistrate Leron Daly in the Providence Magistrate’s Court. During that hearing, Attorney Euclin Gomes representing McCoy, asked that his client be released on self bail since he is a “well known journalist”.
In an invited comment, Benschop had told Kaieteur News that it appears he will be getting justice now that the matter has come up. He said that it is not about any sort of political victimization or witch hunting. “…Nobody wants to victimize him (McCoy); he has victimized so many people in Guyana,” Benschop added.
Reflecting on the incident that occurred five years ago, Benschop recalled “McCoy and his henchmen damaged my vehicle, they assaulted me and they stole items from out of my vehicle.”
The activist stated that police back then had refused to do their jobs because of political intimidation from the then Office of the President.
In early 2016, Benschop made appeals for investigations to be reopened into his claims that McCoy and associates had assaulted him and vandalized his vehicle. But police were unable to locate the file and took new statements.
In February 2016, Kwame McCoy, Jason Abdulla and Shawn Hinds were each released on $100,000 bail by a City Magistrate for allegedly assaulting Kaieteur News columnist Frederick Kissoon. According to reports, the three men threw faeces in Kissoon’s face just outside a Robb Street, Supermarket on May 24, 2010.
This matter is still before the court.

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