Aubrey Norton among 16 charged for illegal procession

Sep 18, 2021 News

Kaieteur News – Executive member of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNC/R), Aubrey Norton, was among 16 persons who were charged yesterday for taking part in an illegal procession and failing to wear a face mask.

Charged, PNC’s Executive, Aubrey Norton.

On Monday, Norton and the other persons were taken into custody at the Brickdam Police Station for allegedly participating in an illegal protest in the city to retaliate measures that encourage the uptake of the COVID-19 vaccine. They were all a part of a protest action titled “Time to shutdown GT”, when the arrests were made.
Norton, along with the other defendants yesterday made their first court appearance in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts before Magistrate Rhondell Weever.
The PNC’s executive, along with the 15 named protestors, was represented by attorney-at-law, Darren Wade. Those charged are Lenox Bacchus, Timothy McVaugh, John Van Veen, Aubrey Grandon, Andre Dolivers, Kyle Solomon, Godfrey McDonald, Compton Hope, Khepera Ma-Khufu, Orel Brummel, Keon James, Ryan Fraser, Quincy Nicholas, Leon Roberts and Andrew Wattson.
When the matter was called, the Court was informed that Fraser, Nicholas, Roberts and Wattson were absent and as such, an arrest warrant was issued for them.
The first charge alleges that on Monday, September 13, last, at the Square of the Revolution, Georgetown, the defendants took part in a procession without the permission of the Chief Officer of Police having first been obtained. The second charge alleges that on the same day in question, there were all in public without wearing a face mask, fitted to cover their nose and mouth.
After pleading not guilty to the charges read to them, the defendants were released on self-bail and are expected to reappear in court on October 15, 2021.
Norton is not the first opposition member who has been charged for participating in an illegal procession. In fact, back in May, Opposition Chief Whip, Christopher Jones, and Opposition Member of Parliament, Annette Ferguson, and six of the party’s supporters were charged on similar grounds where they were released on $20,000 bail each.
The charge is in relation to the march that they allegedly had outside of the High Court following the ruling on the elections petition case by Chief Justice (Ag), Roxane George-Wiltshire, in April last.