More than five years after allegedly assaulting activist Mark Benschop, People’s Progressive Party (PPP) member Kwame McCoy is expected to be arraigned on three charges.
This is according to Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum, who told Stabroek News that the Director of Prosecutions (DPP) has since advised that McCoy face assault, simple larceny and malicious damage to property charges in relation to the encounter.
The altercation occurred on the morning of March 5, 2011, when Benschop was allegedly attacked outside McCoy’s Diamond, East Bank Demerara home, where he said he had gone to take pictures of how “money is being spent on mansions for people like McCoy.”
Benschop’s truck, which was left outside McCoy’s home after he fled the area, was badly smashed, with all of the windows and windscreens broken. He had told this newspaper that cash and several items, including important personal documents, had been stolen.
Benschop had said then that he was taking pictures and filming the home when McCoy turned up at the scene and attacked him. He had alleged that McCoy pulled a gun before attempting to take his camera and that at least three other men who were with McCoy also pulled guns, forcing him to flee the area and leave his vehicle and personal documents behind.
He reported that his passport was among the items stolen, in addition to a laptop computer and a digital camera. He had said too that his son’s documents were also in the vehicle and were taken. Further, he said a total of $250,000, which was to cover salaries for his staff for month, was also allegedly stolen.
McCoy was questioned in relation to the altercation in April of this year and was subsequently released on station bail.
Benschop reportedly requested that the police re-open the case following the arrest of McCoy and two other associates, who have been charged with assaulting newspaper columnist Freddie Kissoon.
On February 22, McCoy along with Jason Abdulla and former bodyguard Shawn Hinds were charged with assaulting Kissoon, on whom they are accused of throwing human faeces during an attack in 2010.
They were each released on $100,000 bail.
The trio and another individual were also questioned about the murder of political activist Courtney Crum-Ewing, who was shot dead on the evening of March 10, 2015 at Diamond, East Bank Demerara, where he was urging residents to vote against the incumbent PPP/C at the May 11 general elections.
