Two men, Alpha Poole, 35, and Osafo Peters, 28, were yesterday remanded to prison despite a High Court order for their release. The men appeared before Principal Magistrate Faith McGusty at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court on Friday, facing charges related to the alleged abduction of Joshua David, known as ‘Bricks,’ on September 26, 2024.
The charges assert that Poole and Peters, along with others, unlawfully abducted David with the intent to secretly confine him on Main Street, Georgetown. Neither man was required to enter a plea, and their case has been adjourned until October 11, 2024.Before their court appearance, a legal dispute arose regarding their detention.
Attorney Everton Lammy-Singh revealed that High Court Judge Nichole Pierre had issued an order from the Supreme Court of Judicature, mandating their release after determining that they had been held beyond the legal 72-hour detention limit. In light of this ruling, Lammy-Singh expressed his intention to return to the High Court to pursue contempt charges against those who allegedly disregarded the order.
During the proceedings, the prosecution, represented by Inspector Jones, opposed bail, citing concerns that the accused might face additional, more serious charges, particularly as David is now presumed dead following his disappearance. Jones argued that releasing the men could lead to evidence tampering, noting that eyewitnesses had identified them in connection with the alleged abduction.
Conversely, Lammy-Singh and fellow attorney Glenn Hanoman contended that the offense is bailable under Guyanese law, as it does not carry a penalty exceeding five years. They highlighted that although their clients’ images were circulating on social media, they were not identified in the video related to David’s abduction.
The attorneys further pointed out that the police issued bulletins for Poole and Peters only one day after the incident, without making prior attempts to locate them, asserting that both men had voluntarily surrendered to law enforcement.
After hearing arguments from both sides, Magistrate McGusty ordered that the men be remanded to prison and instructed that still images and video footage of the alleged abduction be presented at the next court date.
