Today, Thursday March 28, 2024 was the date of the defendant summons allegedly served on Mr. Rickford Burke requiring his attendance at the Vigilance Magistrates’ Court, East Coast Demerara.
This summons was allegedly served on Mr. Burke at his home in Brooklyn, New York, USA. The summons was issued by Magistrate Fabayo Azore at the Vigilance Magistrate’s Court to be served on Mr. Burke at an address at Fellowship, West Coast Demerara.
Mr. Burke was charged with Conspiracy with other persons to publish defamatory libel with a view to extort money and Conspiracy with other persons to offer to abstain from publishing defamatory libel with a view to extort money.
This morning the matter was called at the Vigilance Magistrates’ court before Honourable Magistrate Fabayo Azore. Mr. Burke was not present but he was represented by Mrs. Dawn Cush, one of his lawyers along with Mr. Roysdale Forde, S.C. and Ms. Sasha King named in the civil proceedings in the Guyana High Court, against the Attorney General and Magistrate Fabayo Azore.
The First Respondent, the Attorney General, was represented in court by Mr. Darsahan Ramdhani, K.C.
Magistrate Fabayo Azore indicated that she is deferring the hearing pending the outcome of the civil proceedings in the High Court, and adjourned the matter to April 22, 2024. She also declined to hear any submissions from Mr. Ramdhani, K.C.
The civil proceedings filed by Mr. Burke’s Attorneys seek to quash the defendant summons allegedly served on Mr. Burke and that resort to Criminal Defamation to protect individual reputation is unnecessary, disproportionate, excessive and reasonably justified and or required to protect reputations, rights and freedoms of other persons and thereby unconstitutional.
