Police Force says defence attorney in extortion case leaked video to Rickford Burke

See below full statement issued by the Guyana Police Force:

The Guyana Police Force has taken note of a leaked video being shared on Social Media, specifically a Facebook Page associated with Rickford Burke, for whom a Wanted Bulletin was issued.

The Rules of Disclosure mandate the prosecutor to disclose to the defence all the evidence in his possession that will be used in the matter, whether or not it is favourable to the accused.

On 1st November 2022, the Police Legal Advisor, Mr Mandel Moore, as is mandatory, disclosed 3 video interviews between the police and the following persons – Alex Wayne, Gary Eleazer and Dorwain Bess – along with the 16 statements and other documentary evidence.

Conveniently, the video interview conducted between Dorwain Bess and one of the police investigators was leaked via a Facebook Page associated with Rickford Burke. In the other two video interviews, both Alex Wayne and Gary Eleazer implicated Rickford Burke as being the owner of the Guyana News Network (GNN) Facebook Page.

Moreso, there was a statement from Gary Eleazer in which he stated that Rickford Burke gave him access to the GNN Facebook Page, and he also stated that Burke asked him to post 2 stories on the said page that were racial and political.

The only parties this evidence was disclosed to were the Court and the defence attorney-at-law. The Guyana Police Force is convinced that the latter leaked these disclosures because the Court has no benefit to obtain from such an act.

Such action is unprecedented, unheard of and unethical, and it is a clear contravention of the Legal Practitioners Act Chapter 4:01, which is the Code of Conduct for members of the legal profession.

The Police instituted charges against Alex Wayne, Gary Eleazer and Dorwain Bess. A Wanted bulletin was also issued for Rickford Burke based on evidence from the said investigation.