Supporters who spent hours in the sun outside a police cordon near the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court erupted in cheers yesterday when told that Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed and his two employees had been granted bail.
The gathering included PNC figures Lurlene Nestor and former minister Annette Ferguson, who said their presence reflected opposition to what they considered injustice rather than allegiance to Mohamed’s party.
Mohamed, Mario Mohamed and Eugene Thorne were granted bail totalling $750,000 each by Magistrate Faith McGusty on charges of unlawful possession of a firearm without a licence, unlawful possession of ammunition without a licence, and attempting to pervert the course of justice.
The charges arose from Monday night’s disputed shooting incident outside the home of Special Branch Head, Senior Superintendent Prem Narine.
Police had cordoned off the area from early morning, but protesters remained nearby, calling for the men’s release. The gathering and subsequent celebrations were shown on Hana Mohamed’s live stream.
“I am compelled by my mere humanity to be here,” Nestor said.
She explained that the two employees had been taught by her sister, who could not attend and had asked her to go. Nestor said she also knew their relatives and wanted to support the families.
Ferguson similarly argued that Guyanese should speak against injustice regardless of the political affiliation of those involved. She questioned whether travelling along a public street outside someone’s home could itself justify action against a person.
Member of Parliament, Odess Primus, alleged that Mohamed had been treated with disrespect and expressed confidence in his lawyers. She criticised the government’s description of his employees as “henchmen” and pointed to the presence of their relatives, including Thorne’s mother, who attended in a wheelchair.
Hana Mohamed, Director of Political Affairs at the Office of the Leader of the Opposition, said the men worked in a constitutional office and deserved respect as people earning an honest living.
When she announced that bail had been granted, supporters shouted “Justice!”, with some jumping and dancing. Thorne’s mother clapped repeatedly from her wheelchair as Primus embraced her.
The celebrations briefly gave way to frustration when Hana Mohamed said three manager’s cheques were being requested to secure bail.
“Why is a manager’s cheque needed? Why can’t cash be accepted like everyone else?” she asked.
She alleged that restrictions on bank accounts belonging to Mohamed and others associated with him made the requirement difficult to meet.
At approximately 2.13 pm, supporters caught sight of a smiling Mohamed and his employees approaching and began cheering. They hugged him, sought photographs and attempted to lift him, with some calling him “we President”.
“Give he lil breeze, he went under tremendous pressure,” one man urged.
Addressing the gathering, Mohamed repeated his allegation that Narine had tried to kill him and called for CCTV footage from the scene to be released.
He said he had raised his hands and identified himself to Narine, telling him: “Prem is me, a Muslim brother like yourself.”
Mohamed also repeated his allegation that the firearm police said they recovered from the vehicle had been planted, describing the weapon as rusty.
The government has presented a different account, alleging that gunshots came from the vehicle while its occupants were filming Narine’s home at Barr Street, Kitty, around midnight. It said Narine returned fire with his service handgun and that an unlicensed firearm was recovered after police intercepted the car.
Mohamed has denied that anyone in the vehicle fired a weapon. Although the men were initially arrested on allegations that included unlawfully discharging a firearm, that offence was not among the charges brought against them.
Narine is a key witness in the ongoing extradition proceedings against Mohamed and his father. The government has cited concerns Narine expressed about his safety and that of his family, and said the state had a duty to protect witnesses.
Mohamed told supporters he had been carrying out his duties by looking into an incident involving a falling gate at the Rama Krishna Primary School and questioning the deployment of police at a hotel and Narine’s home.
“I was doing my work,” he said.
He thanked supporters for their prayers and spoke light-heartedly about his detention, saying he had rested and offered advice to other men in the cell.
“I went in for three days and I never get so much rest in me life,” he said.
Mohamed posed for photographs with supporters before leaving.
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