An ASP of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) on December 16th served two summonses in New York, USA on Rickford Burke who is wanted here on two charges.
A release yesterday from the GPF said that on the 13th of December, 2023, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Rodwell Sarabo travelled to the United States with both summonses in his possession.
On December 16th , Sarabo met with Mark Wesserman, a Process Server based in the United States of America and they served both summonses on Burke at his home address at Maple Street, Brooklyn, New York. Both summonses were read to Rickford Burke and he said he understood. They require him to be present in court in Guyana on March 28th 2024.
On the 3rd December 2021, the Guyana Police Force issued a Wanted Bulletin for Burke in relation to the following offences:
• The excitement of hostility or ill-will on the grounds of Race, under the Racial Hostility Act.
• Sedition under the Cyber Crime Act.
• Use of a computer system to coerce and intimidate a person, under the Cyber Crime Act.
• Seditious Libel contrary to common law.
• Seditious Libel under the peace under the Sum-mary Jurisdiction Offences Act
• Inciting public terror under the Criminal Law Offences Act.
Subsequently, on the 29th day of September 2022, the GPF again issued a wanted bulletin for Burke in relation to the offence of Conspiracy to Commit a Felony, Contrary to Section 33 of the Cri-minal Law (Offences) Act, Chapter 8:01 with regards to the publication of defamatory libel allegedly in order to extort money from Afras Mohammed.
Subsequently, on the 18th day of August, 2023, two charges were filed at the Vigilance Magistrate’s Court against Burke for the said offence. Burke who resides in the United States of America, was absent from Court.
As such, the Magistrate ordered that the summonses be prepared and served on Burke to attend the Vigilance Magistrate’s court on March 28th 2024.
The GPF said it wished to make it known that a similar course of action will be adopted against persons who are outside of the jurisdiction and engage in criminal conduct.
