Two University of Guyana (UG) students were yesterday fined for detonating an explosive device on the university’s Turkeyen Campus on Thursday afternoon.
Mark Hoosein, 22, of Fourth Street, Cummings Lodge, East Coast Demerara and Rhomayne Li, 18, of Cummings Street, Alberttown, Georgetown, accepted the charge of unlawful possession of explosives and throwing explosives in a public place.
The duo appeared before Magistrate Judy Latchmansingh at the Sparendaam Magistrates’ Court, where they pleaded guilty. They were each fined $30,000.00 on the charge of unlawful possession of explosives and $10,000.00 on the other charge.
According to the police, the charges follow investigations into an incident which occurred at about 1:30 pm on Thursday at the university campus, where the two students exploded a three-shot firecracker causing fear and panic among persons and disrupting classes. Another firecracker was found by the police after a search of a motor vehicle, in which the students were travelling.
In a release issued by the university, Registrar Vincent Alexander stated, “No injuries were reported, all employees are accounted for and no buildings have been damaged.”
The university stated that a firecracker was thrown from a moving car between the Faculty of Technology and the Administration buildings.
Persons at the scene reported that sometime after lunch time on Thursday, the occupants of a car, which was parked near to the admissions division of UG, lobbed the explosive device out of the car window.
The device exploded on impact with the ground, causing persons in the vicinity to run for cover.
The police were notified of the incident and a team of officers, including bomb experts, responded to the scene. The car was searched in the presence of its occupants and they were later arrested.
