Trio remanded on plot to overthrow Guyana government

Acting Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry ordered that the Munroes and Wharton, a former Lieutenant Colonel in the GDF Reserve who owns an inn, be brought back to the court on January 7, 2011.

GEORGETOWN, Guyana, – Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Major, Bruce Munroe, his allegedly schizophrenic wife Carol-Ann Munroe and businessman and former soldier Leonard Wharton were remanded to prison on treason following their first court appearance yesterday.
They were not required to plea to the indictable charge that between December 2009 and this month, they plotted to "level war within Guyana" to force President Bharrat Jagdeo out of office.
The police prosecutor, Inspector Fazil Karimbaksh, indicated that he would be ready to proceed with the capital offence case in a month, explaining that while the offence allegedly began a full year ago investigations only began this month.
He also told the court, in response to the contention of defence counsel that the charge was baseless and could not be supported by any evidence, that the prosecution had four witnesses. Media reports have also indicated that police have audio and video tapes that implicate the trio.

Acting Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry ordered that the Munroes and Wharton, a former Lieutenant Colonel in the GDF Reserve who owns an inn, be brought back to the court on January 7, 2011 when a date will be set for a preliminary inquiry to determine whether there is enough evidence to go to trial before a judge and jury.
Before the three were taken away shackled and handcuffed, just as they had entered the court, one of the four defence attorneys, Nigel Hughes, asked for special provisions to be made for Mrs Munroe, who is the owner of a school, because she is schizophrenic.
Local media reports also indicate that she is the first woman in Guyana to be charged with treason – an offence punishable by death.
The treason charge is said to have links to the arson at the Ministry of Health, the attempted arson of the Richard Ishmael School and the Supreme Court building and the gun attack on the Brickdam Police Station in July 2009, for which several others have already been charged.
It is alleged that the married couple and Wharton recruited people to create chaos in the country to facilitate their plot to overthrow the government.
The 2009 incidents had been labeled “terror” attacks by government officials, with President Bharrat Jagdeo saying that there were overseas connections to the crimes. Police in Guyana have reportedly sought INTERPOL’s assistance in tracking down two more men, including another former soldier, who are believed to have been key players in the attacks.