42 on terrorism, robbery charges

May 01, 2025 News

---

By Francwa Fortune

Kaieteur News-  Forty-two men and one woman were hauled before various courts on Wednesday on charges of break and enter, larceny and inciting public terror stemming from Monday’s riot, which resulted in two men being shot and killed, several others injured, and close to a dozen Chinese supermarkets burglarised.

Some 29 of the 42 men appeared before Senior Magistrate Fabayo Azore at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court, while the others were arraigned at courts outside of the capital. Eighteen-year-old Emmanuel James of Independence Boulevard, Alboystown, Georgetown and 25-year-old Jamal Small of James Street, Alboystown, Georgetown, were jointly charged with terrorism and break and enter and larceny.

It is alleged that on April 28, 2025, at Hunter Street between West Front Road and Mandela Avenue, Georgetown. James and Small broke into Jin Bao Lin and stole a quantity of groceries, phone cards, household items, hardware items, alcohol and snacks valued at $500,000. It is also alleged that on the same day at the said address, the accused committed a terrorist act by placing wood and other items on the roadway and setting fire in a manner that caused destruction of property. James and Small were not required to plead to the indictable charge.

Nineteen-year-old Alex Atkinson of Lot 85 Guyhoc, Georgetown, 22 years-old Devon Lewis of Lot 14 West La Penitence Housing Scheme, Georgetown, 26-years-old Randy Denjamin of Phase Two East Ruimveldt, Georgetown, 21-year-old Aidan Cuffy of Lot 85 Guyhoc Gardens, Georgetown, 25-year-old Jason Hardy of Lot 209 Sideline Dam, East La Penitence Georgetown, 39-years-old Kerwyn Baksh of Lot 74 St. Stevens Street Charlestown, Georgetown, 21-year-old Tyrese Hassaanah of Lot 43 Nismes West Bank Demerara (WBD), 33-year-old Faizal Kennedy of Lot 71 East La Penitence, Georgetown, and 25-year-old Jamaul singh of Lot 636 Providence Housing Scheme, East Bank Demerara (EBD), were also jointly charged with terrorism and break and enter and larceny.

It is alleged that on April 28, 2025, at Cemetery Road between Toucan Street and Middle Road, La Penitence, Georgetown, they broke into Jin Bao Lin and stole a quantity of groceries, phone cards, household items, hardware items, alcohol and snacks valued at $6 million. It is also alleged that on the same day at the said address, the accused committed a terrorist act by placing wood and other items in a manner that caused or was likely to cause destruction of property.  They were not required to plead to the indictable charge.

Twenty-year-old Sherwain Nelson of Lot 75 West Front Road, Georgetown, 20-year-old Desafio Harvey of Lot 135 King Edward Street, Albouystown, Georgetown, 53-year-old Oulient Elgin of Lot 11 ‘D’ Hogg Street, Albouystown, Georgetown, 18-year-old Leon Albert, 34-year-old Kevin Rodney of ‘D’ Field Sophia, Georgetown, 31-year-old Keon Akeem Hope, 53-year-old Ron Mitchell of ‘C’ Field Sophia Squatting area, 18-year-old Hassan Muhammed of ‘C’ Field Sophia,  49-year-old Omadath Bridgemohan of First Street Pattensen, Turkeyen and 19-year-old Shem Howard of ‘B’ Field Sophia, Georgetown, were jointly charged with terrorism. It is alleged that on April 28, 2025, at Sussex and Hill Street, Georgetown, they committed a terrorist act by placing wood and other items on the roadway and setting fire in a manner that caused destruction of property.

They were not required to plead to the indictable charge. Nineteen-year-old Antonio Lawrence, 34-year-old Kevin James and 27-year-old Vincent Trim of Durban Backland Squatting Area, Georgetown, were jointly charged with terrorism.

It is alleged that on April 28, 2025, at Durban Backlands, Georgetown, they committed a terrorist act by placing wood and other items on the roadway and setting fire in a manner that caused destruction of property.  They were not required to plead to the indictable charge.

Twenty-year-old Kemuel Abrams of Lot 19 Tucville, Georgetown, 22-year-old Leroy Sealey-Yaw of Lot 26 ‘A’ East La Penitence, 21-year-old Shamal Ram of Lot 1305 ‘B’ Sophia, Georgetown, 20-year-old Samuel October of 47 Friendship, East Coast Demerara (ECD) and 24-year-old Arnold Junior of Lot 69 Housing Scheme, East Bank Berbice (EBB), were charged with terrorism.

It is alleged that on April 29, 2025, at Tucville, Georgetown, they committed a terrorist act by breaking into Ying’s Chinese supermarket and stealing a quantity of items and damaging parts of the said supermarket. They were not required to plead to the indictable charge.

The prosecution told the court that on the days in question, the defendants were caught on camera placing items on the roadways and setting them on fire. They added that the police acted swiftly and arrested them, and placed them in custody. The defendants who broke into the supermarket were all found and arrested by the police in the supermarket.

The prosecution objected to bail due to the seriousness of the offences committed as well as the public safety and the actions of the defendants. The prosecution also indicated to the court that the defendants were caught lighting fire and as a result of such actions, it instilled fear in many agencies, causing flights to be cancelled and turned back, and businesses to shut their doors. “The entire country was shut down because of these acts,” the prosecutor said.

One of the accused began shedding tears and was given the opportunity to speak. He told the court that he pleaded with nearby persons not to fight and cause destruction. “All dem officers know me. I beg for all dem to stop pelt and stop shoot cause dem breaking up the country. Now I facing this hay. Me ain’t do nothing up to now, ize ah big man and I have children me aint want this happen,” the accused said.

Another accused took that opportunity to share with the court that he was found on a corner videoing with his phone when he was approached by an officer who began assaulting him. “Ma’am, I de videoing with me phone on d corner and the police come and started hitting me up in my face with he gun and gun-butt me, all in my head bust up. My worship, look I have marks on my skin. This is an injustice my worship!” the court heard from one of the accused men.

Magistrate Azore remanded all 29 men who appeared before her to prison until their next court appearance, which is scheduled for May 28, 2025.  Additionally, a total of 14 other persons, including 1 woman, were also charged on Wednesday for Terrorism. These are; 42-year-old Quacy Gittens, 48-year-old Jeffon Trotman and 29-year-old Andel Weeks of Parika, East Bank Essequibo (EBE),  30-year-old Euclid Wright of Leonora, West Coast Demerara (WCD), 39-year-old Dilon Caleb of Vergenoegen, EBE, 28-year-old Wayne Wright of Tuschen, EBE, 27-year-old Lenna Lopes of Patentia Housing Scheme, WBD, 36-year-old Tremain Frank of Swan Street, Squatting Area, WBD, 20-year-old Melville Thomas of Pouderoyen, WBD, 31-year-old Arvin Persaud of Bella Dam, Pouderoyen, WBD, 27-year-old Clevon Hudson of Bella Dam, Pouderoyen WBD, 26-year-old Nelson Bristol of Kildonan Village, Corentyne, Berbice, 18-year-old Quel Lyte of Nurney Village, Corentyne, Berbice and 20-year-old Emmanuel Davis of Limnair Village, Corentyne, Berbice.

Support

Meanwhile, outside the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court, relatives of the accused gathered in support of them.  A relative of Sherwain Nelson told Kaieteur News that at the time of the incident, he was home and, after hearing what had transpired, he went out in search of his brother-in-law and was subsequently caught and arrested by the police while in boxer shorts. “My son-in-law come out from by me around like 11 something, he run out his bed to look for his brother-in-law. And as soon as he run out the house the police snatch he and start beating he up and throw he in the lock ups.” She added that “When we go at the station now dem tell he court this morning without telling he wa dem charging he for. They don’t have no footage and no evidence stating that they find this boy doing anything. This boy was in his bare boxers on the corner,” the woman said.

---

---