-Remanded to Prison
By: Bhisham Mohamed
A Guyana Defence Force major and his wife, and a former lieutenant colonel were on Tuesday arraigned at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court One on a joint charge of treason against the government of Guyana.
Leonard Wharton, the former lieutenant colonel and proprietor of the La Chalet Country Club; and Major Bruce Munroe, and his wife Carol Ann, the directors of the Young Achievers Academy, were not required to plead to the charge of treason. This offence is punishable by the death penalty, according to the laws of Guyana.
Police said that between December 1, 2009 and December 16, 2010 at Soesdyke, East Bank Demerara, the three intended to levy war within Guyana in order to force or depose from his office the president, in order to compel the government of Guyana to change its measures. It is believed that the trio is connected to several criminal activities, including the Health Ministry fire-bombing on Brickdam in July, 2009, the channa-bombing of the Richard Ishmael Secondary School, and the Supreme Court fire, but the time frame of the charge excludes these acts. The suspects were remanded to prison by acting Chief Magistrate Priya Beharry until January 7.
According to police prosecutor Fazil Karimbaksh, Wharton is an ex-soldier who operates a business in Soesdyke; while the second accused, Bruce Munroe, is a serving member of the Guyana Defence Force. Carol Ann Munroe, the third accused, is also a member of the Guyana Defence Force, who operates as a journalist and is now the owner of a private school located in Soesdyke.
Karimbaksh stated that, upon information received by the police and investigations carried out, the three accused were implicated in the recruitment of persons to whom they gave certain directives which could have automatically triggered mayhem in Guyana and eventually lead to the toppling of the government. The trio was represented by defence attorneys Gregory Gaskin, Nigel Hughes, Trenton Lake and George Thomas. In his submission to the court, Gaskin related that the three accused are innocent of the charge levelled against them, and that the evidence will be ventilated in court during the preliminary inquiry.
He said that the police do not have the facts and evidence to implicate his three clients. The accused were refused their liberty; and, as such, he asked that an early date be set for the commencement of the PI.
At this juncture, the magistrate enquired from the prosecutor the possibility of having an early commencement of the PI, but the prosecution said they would need another month or two to have all the facts and evidence analysed, to ensure a strong case against the three accused. “There are videos, documentaries and telephone conversations that have to be translated so that the four witnesses can be properly briefed on the surrounding and circumstantial evidence,” the prosecutor revealed.
However, Hughes lashed out at the prosecutor because he noted that they had ample time to gather all the necessary documentation and evidence that they intend to use against his clients to get a conviction. He said that he wished the prosecutor did not read too much into what was reported in the press about his client, and he hoped that they are given a fair trial.
In responding to the defence counsel, Prosecutor Karimbaksh highlighted that the police received information about this plot in December of 2010, and he explained that, based on the evidence gathered, the charge was instituted as of December 2009. This, he noted, was too little time to analyse all the evidence.
Hughes further submitted to the court that Carol Ann Munroe is suffering from a mental illness, and requested that an independent evaluation be done, since the defence has all the medical documentation to verify this. He added that Munroe is 39 and is a mother of three.
The acting chief magistrate so instructed the prosecutor to make the necessary arrangements for the accused to be psychologically examined by the relevant authorities. The trio will make another court appearance on January 7, when it is expected that a date will be set for the commencement of the PI.
