Gov’t rejects as false, malicious and ludicrous narrative contained in “Travel Advisory on Guyana” being circulated on social media

The Government of Guyana rejects as false, malicious and indeed ludicrous, a narrative contained in a  document being circulated on social media as “Travel Advisory on Guyana” issued by a one-man organization styled Caribbean Guyana Institute for Democracy, operating out of Brooklyn, New York, dated March 3, 2023. This organization is headed by notorious United States-based Guyanese, Rickford Burke, whose sinister agenda appears only to excite racial hostilities among the people of Guyana, instigate ethnic strife, violence and consequential public disorder.

In this recent missive, this fringe element, racist and extremist organ, in characteristic style, unsubstantiatedly accuses the Government of Guyana of racism and of “conducting civil war to divide Guyana along racial lines”.

The document also makes a number of baseless and unfounded allegations against the nation’s premier law enforcement agency,  the Guyana Police Force. Such and similar inane rantings and fatuous utterances from Burke are nothing new. The public is also aware of the use by Burke of the social media platform to extort money from businessmen in Guyana with a threat to destroy their business via social media unless they pay him.

As a result of his racial utterances, hate speeches and incitement to create public  disorder  in  Guyana  and  among  Guyanese, as well as his criminal extortionist enterprise, the Guyana Police Force was forced to issue a wanted bulletin on the 4th December 2021 for Burke in respect, inter alia, the undermentioned offences:

1.  The excitement of hostility or ill-will on the grounds of race under s.2 of the Racial Hostility Act. [Any person who willfully excites or attempts to excite racial hostility against a particular race by means of words spoken in a public place or transmitted by telegraphy].

2.  Sedition under s.18 (1) (a) and (f) of the Cyber Crime Act. [The offence is made out if it’s against the government s. 18(1)(a) and if it excites racial divisions (f)].

3.  Use of a computer system to coerce and intimidate under s.19 (3) of the Cyber Crime Act [makes it an offence to disseminate information via computer which is known to be false to damage the reputation of another person].

4.  Seditious Libel at Common Law. [It is the overt speech or conduct to bring hatred and contempt against the Government].

5.  Seditious Libel under S.320 of the Criminal Law Offences Act, Cap. 8:01.

6.  Inciting the provocation of a breach of the peace under s.141 of the Summary Jurisdiction (Offences) Act, Cap 8:02.

7.  Inciting public terror under s.137 of the Criminal Law Offences Act, Cap.

8:01. [The incitement of persons to go to public places and behave a certain way could be incitement to cause public terror].

On the 29th September 2022 the Guyana Police Force issued yet another wanted bulletin for Rickford Burke in respect of the offence of “conspiracy to commit a felony to wit publication of defamatory libel in order to extort money”. In respect of this latter offence, two of Burke’s co-conspirators are charged and are facing trial before the Magistrates’ Courts of Guyana. These and other relevant information have been transmitted to the Department of Justice of the United States as well as several US law enforcement agencies.

Guyana and the US have a long history of cooperating and collaborating in ensuring that fugitives are brought to justice in both countries; hence Burke’s recent calculated attacks on the Government of  Guyana and the Guyana Police Force.

The recent flurry of activities by Burke on social media and in the US, including his diatribe styled “Travel Advisory”, are precipitated by him recognizing that the time is near for him to face the criminal justice system of Guyana. These desperate antics are intended to draw attention to himself and whatever public sympathies he may be able to muster.

Unfortunately for Burke, in Guyana, all are subject to the Rule of Law and shall face the legal consequences of their actions and/or omissions.