Businessman wanted in relation to defamatory publication

Sep 27, 2022 News

Kaieteur News – The Guyana Police Force (GPF) has issued a wanted bulletin for businessman, Dorwain Bess, 45 of Lot 162 Rupa Place, Bel Air Park, Georgetown, in relation to a defamatory publication.

In custody, Gary Eleazer

According to reports, Bess was implicated by two reporters, who were on Friday last caught in a sting-operation attempting to extort $90M from an auto dealer for the removal of a ‘news story’ published on a Facebook page dubbed Guyana News Network (GNN).

Wanted, Dorwain Bess

The reporters – Gary Eleazar and Alex Wayne – said to be employees of GNN, are reportedly the authors of the story which was used in the alleged attempt to extort the cash from the car dealer.

According to the story, the auto dealer has been cheating the government of millions of dollars in taxes. The auto dealer has since denied the claim but alleged that the reporters demanded that he pays them $90M to remove the story from the Facebook page.

Addressing the matter on his Facebook page on Saturday, Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, SC, noted that the businessman had moved to lodge a police report against the two reporters on August 29, last and detectives decided to set-up a sting operation on Friday last to catch them.

In custody, Alex Wayne

Police, this publication was informed, got the businessman to convince the reporters that if they removed the story, he would pay them $1 million and they agreed. A plan was formulated and the auto dealer was given marked cash to hand over to Eleazar and Wayne. The men, this publication was told, met with the auto dealer and they engaged in a conversation during which the marked cash was handed over.

Police ranks then made their move. It was revealed that the ranks located the reporters, conducted a search on them and found that they had already divided the marked cash between themselves.

Ranks also seized two cellphones and a laptop. Further searches were conducted at Eleazar’s home and police found another laptop, along with three hard drives which were also seized. So far, police have secured a video confession from Wayne and he admitted to collaborating with another businessman identified as Dorwain Bess and Eleazar to publish the news report. The reporters up to press time remain in custody.