A 50-year-old Tuschen man has been remanded to prison after allegedly attempting to falsely claim that two of his children were among those who drowned in the MV Barima tragedy.
Jermaine English, of 1151 Tuschen New Housing Scheme, appeared before Magistrate Orinthia Schmidt at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Courts.
It is alleged that on August 17 and 18, 2026, at the Ministry of Public Service, English attempted to commit a felony by falsely pretending that two of his children had drowned when the MV Barima capsized on July 18, 2026, knowing the claims to be false.
English was not required to enter a plea to the indictable charge.
The prosecution objected to bail, citing the seriousness of the offence. The court also heard that English allegedly admitted during a video-recorded interview to committing the offence outlined in the charge.
Investigations subsequently found that English did not have children who died in the MV Barima tragedy, the court heard.
When questioned by Magistrate Schmidt, English disclosed that he had one previous charge for simple larceny.
Bail was refused, and English was remanded to prison until September 16, 2026, when the matter will be called again.
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