A technician employed by Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed was yesterday charged with three offences stemming from the alleged unlawful operation of a drone following last week’s police operation near President Irfaan Ali’s private residence at Leonora.
Dwayne Ross, 25, of Princes Street, Georgetown, appeared before the Vreed-en-Hoop Magistrate’s Court, where he pleaded not guilty to all three charges.
Ross was charged with two counts of unlawfully operating an unmanned aerial vehicle, contrary to sections 6(d) and 6(e) of the Civil Aviation Act 2018, and failing to obtain authorisation to operate an aircraft, contrary to Section 92 of the Act.
He was granted bail in the sum of $200,000 on each charge, amounting to $600,000. As conditions of bail, he was ordered to lodge his passport with the court and report to the police once per month.
The matters were adjourned until September 30 for a report.
Ross was among several persons detained on September 3 during an investigation into alleged drone activity near the President’s residence.
Police had said they received information at approximately 6.30 pm that persons travelling in a black Toyota Land Cruiser were allegedly operating a drone in the area.
The vehicle was intercepted at Windsor Forest with Mohamed, his driver Eugene Thorne and Ross inside. Police said a DJI drone was found in the trunk, while another drone was subsequently discovered during a search of Ross’s home.
According to the police account, Ross acknowledged ownership of the drone found in the vehicle and said he had purchased it approximately one month earlier. He reportedly told investigators that his drone-operating licence had expired in 2023 but that he possessed a certificate.
Mohamed denied owning the device or that it had been flown over the President’s residence. He said it belonged to his photographer and maintained that the device’s flight records would establish where it had been operated.
The Guyana Civil Aviation Authority had issued a notice saying that several unregistered drones were reportedly found after two heavily tinted vehicles were intercepted. That account differed from Mohamed’s assertion that only one drone was found in the vehicle.
The authority warned that operating drones in restricted or prohibited airspace without authorisation could constitute an offence under the Civil Aviation Act and applicable regulations.
During Mohamed’s extradition proceedings on Friday, prosecuting attorney Glenn Hanoman told the court there was no evidence “as yet” that the drone had been used. He said police were examining seized electronic devices to determine whether surveillance had been conducted and what may have been planned.
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