Youth charged with setting fire to CID building, old Army base in Essequibo

A 24-year-old excavator operator was charged on Wednesday with two counts of setting fire to two public buildings – the old army base at Maria’s Lodge, Essequibo Coast and the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) at Anna Regina, Essequibo Coast.

Both incidents occurred on July 14, 2020.

Keyon Davis of Hibernia, Essequibo Coast appeared before Magistrate Esther Sam at the Suddie Magistrate’s Court and was not required to plead to the indictable charges.

Bail was, however, granted in the sum of $200,000 on each charge and he is required to report to the Suddie Police Station at 09:00h on Mondays and Fridays.

The case is adjourned to August 5, 2020, for report.

The News Room had reported that the fire partly destroyed the unoccupied Army Base between 3 a.m and 3:30 a.m on the day in question.

The wooden building, suspended on concrete posts, is located on the eastern side of Maria’s Lodge in an unfenced yard.

Meanwhile, several items in the CID office at the Anna Regina Police Station were destroyed after someone attempted to burn down the building.

A substance suspected to be kerosene was found on the floor of the office. The building also housed the offices of the Prosecutor and the Special Constabulary, the Regional Court Prosecutor and the Regional Detective Inspector.

Police said between 05:00h and 05:06h, a Constable was making checks around the compound when he observed smoke emanating from the Regional Detective Inspector’s Office (RDI).

The Guyana Fire service was called to the scene and managed to extinguish the fire.