Fisherman charged with setting fire to TikToker’s home

Anthony Budram, 33, a fisherman, appeared at the Sparendaam Magistrates’ Courts on Thursday to face a charge of arson over a fire that destroyed a popular Guyanese TikToker’s home.
He was charged with setting fire to a building contrary to Section 141 of the Criminal Law (Offences) Act Chapter 08:01. According to the charge, this Lot 21 Mosquito Hall, Mahaica, East Coast Demerara (ECD) resident allegedly set fire to the dwelling house of Kubram Ramlall, 49, and Goomattie Pitamber, aged 75, both of Lot 79 Mosquito Hall, Mahaica, on September 9.

This section of the Act stipulates that everyone who unlawfully and maliciously sets fire to any house shall be guilty of a felony and liable to imprisonment for life.
The accused, who appeared before Magistrate Alisha George, was not required to enter a plea to the indictable charge and as such, he was remanded to prison until October 10.
That fire had tragically destroyed the residence of the well-known TikTok personality otherwise known as “Rakah”, along with the adjacent one-storey wooden home of his mother Shirley Pitamber. The Guyana Fire Service (GFS) has determined that that fire was an act of arson.
After that incident, the TikTok personality had taken to social media to express profound sadness over the loss of his home. He recounted seeing the alleged suspect approaching his residence with what appeared to be a container of liquid just before the fire erupted.

Shortly thereafter, his home was engulfed in flames, and the suspect was observed fleeing the scene. The Fire Service has reported that the incident occurred at 23:45h, with the two-storey wooden building having been occupied solely by Ramlall at the time it was intentionally set on fire. The flames subsequently spread to a nearby one-storey wooden house within the same premises and quickly consumed it.
This forced the mother of the TikTok personality and another occupant to seek alternative accommodation. Despite the swift response of fire tenders from the Mahaica Fire Station, the firefighters were unable to salvage the burning structures.