“Islamic State” comments against President: Georgetown Mayor, Opposition MP charged under Racial Hostility Act

Georgetown Mayor Ubraj Narine and Opposition Parliamentarian Sherod Duncan were on Wednesday arrested and taken to the Brickdam Police Station for questioning in relation to accusations against President Dr Irfaan Ali of creating an Islamic State.

This publication understands that both Narine and Duncan have since been charged under Guyana’s Racial Hostility Act. It is alleged that the duo attempted to excite hostility or ill-will on the ground of race. Narine has also been charged with two counts of obstructing traffic, contrary to Section 61 of the Motor Vehicles and Road Traffic Act, Chapter 51:02, in relation to placing a wooden pallet on New Market Street. Duncan has also been charged with one count of the same offence.
Duncan and Narine are jointly charged with the offence of using a computer system to attempt to excite ethnic divisions on the ground of race, contrary to Section 18(2) of the Cyber Crime Act, No. 16 of 2018 (an indictable offence). And Duncan and Narine would be jointly charged with the offence of attempting to excite hostility or ill-will on the ground of race, contrary to Section 2(1)(a) of the Racial Hostility Act, Chapter 23:01.
The Police have said in a statement that investigations have been conducted, and a file has been submitted to the DPP for legal advice.
Duncan and Narine have each since been released on $100,000 station bail, and are expected to appear in court shortly.
On Wednesday, when Police ranks went to City Hall to question Mayor Narine, a group of vendors descended on the compound and attempted to stop Police from arresting Narine. However, with the group of protestors in pursuit, Police escorted both Narine and Duncan, who was also at City Hall, to the Brickdam Police Station.
These two men were accompanied by attorneys at law Roysdale Forde, SC, and Darren Wade. Opposition Members of Parliament Ganesh Mahipaul, Coretta McDonald and Amanza Walton-Desir were also among the group that accompanied the men to the Brickdam Police Station.
Former APNU/AFC Ministers Volda Lawrence and Simona Broomes were also among the crowd.
While protesting the removal of vendors from New Market Street in Georgetown on Monday evening, Narine descended into making a series of serious accusations against the Guyana President, including that the Head of State is creating an Islamic State in Guyana. Duncan also conducted himself in a similar manner.
Narine had gone to the area after the Public Works Ministry had initiated action to remove vendors occupying spaces along New Market Street, between Thomas and East Streets, as of Monday, following notices that they were impeding the flow of traffic in the vicinity.
Remarks uttered by Georgetown Mayor Narine, accusing the President of creating an Islamic State, were on Tuesday vehemently condemned by Government, the Private Sector, and Civil Society, among others. His comments were met with immediate backlash and calls for his immediate resignation on the ground that he was unfit to hold such office.
Narine, who is a pandit, was rebuked for his statement by the Guyana Pandits Council and its affiliates, which vehemently condemned the utterances he made.
“We believe strongly that his words were inappropriate and highly disrespectful to the President of Guyana His Excellency Dr Irfaan Ali, and the Muslim community. Guyana is a country in which all religions are treated equally and allowed to practise their ideals and principles freely. Let us spread love, tolerance and unity, instead of hate and divisiveness,” the Guyana Pandits Council has said in a statement.