The Government of Guyana, through the Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs Anil Nandlall, has turned to the U.S Department of Justice for legal assistance in its bid to have U.S-based Guyanese political and human rights activist, Rickford Burke arrested and prosecuted for allegedly inciting ethnic strife and criminal violence in Guyana.

In a letter to the U.S Attorney General, Merrick Garland on July 27, 2024, Attorney General Nandlall accused Burke of launching almost daily attacks against the Government and the citizens of Guyana using his Facebook page.

According to Minister Nandlall, the attacks are clearly intended to “excite racial hostilities among the different races and classes of the citizenry, incite ethnic strife, encourage criminal violence, cause public disorder, mayhem and reign terror across the length and breadth of Guyana.”

He said while Guyana’s Constitution guarantees Freedom of Expression, it guards against hate speech or other expressions that are capable of exciting hostility or ill-will against person or class of persons.

He said Burke’s actions are in breach of the Guyana Constitution and amount to a number of criminal offences in Guyana, adding that they have also caused immeasurable damage to the character and reputation of Government officials, public officers, and regular citizens.

Minister Nandlall told the U.S Attorney General that while Burke has been charged with criminal offences in Guyana, the fact that he is out of the jurisdiction poses significant challenges, and as such the assistance of the US is required.

“He has been charged with criminal offences in Guyana but as he is out of the jurisdiction, great technical legal problems are encountered in respect of service of these proceedings upon him. The Government of Guyana wishes to engage the U.S Department of Justice and the relevant law enforcement agencies in collaborative effort of mutual legal assistance in addressing this matter,” Minister Nandlall said.

Meanwhile, in separate letter, to the U.S Department of State on July 27, 2024, the Attorney General alluded to a meeting with Guyana’s Deputy Chief of Mission, Zulfikar Ally and the Desk Officer for Guyana, Michael Schena, during which, it was disclosed that Burke had lodged a formal complaint with the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), alleging that the Government of Guyana was harassing him, and sent a police officer to his Brooklyn residence to cause him harm.

The allegations against the Government, the Attorney General said, are “absolutely false and wholly unfounded”, and constitute a malicious attack on the integrity, reputation, good name and international standing of the Government of Guyana.

He said given the seriousness of the matter, the Government at the time was consulting its lawyers in the US to determine the appropriate legal action.

However, the Attorney General clarified that it was a Magistrate, who ordered that a summons be served on Burke by the Guyana Police Force after he and a number of other persons were charged with two counts of conspiracy to commit a felony, dating back to August and September of 2022.

According to the Attorney General, Burke has been allegedly using his social media platform to extort Guyanese businesses, and one of the victims, reported the “criminal extortion conspiratorial plot” of Burke to the Guyana Police Force, and a sting operation was carried out by the police.

“Marked monetary bills were paid over to one of Mr. Burke’s servants and or agents whom he directed to uplift from the owner of the said business entity and in the course thereof two persons were arrested by the Guyana Police Force,” the Attorney General said.
He said one of the persons arrested confessed in writing, implicating Burke as the mastermind of the operation.

Minister Nandlall said it was against that background that Burke was charged, and once the summons was issued, a duly authorized officer of the Guyana Police Force travelled to New York and retained the services of a licensed Legal Process Server, to serve the documents on Burke.
He claimed that Burke was served, and that it was captured on camera.

The Attorney General said the Government played no part “whatsoever” in the matter, and it was simply a citizen using the local justice system to have Burke brought to justice
He said the Guyana Police Force, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution and the Judiciary, have simply discharged their constitutional and legal duties.

The Attorney General said should the FBI investigate the matter thoroughly, it would find that the allegations made by Burke are false, and should take appropriate actions against the U.S-based Guyanese for making false and malicious reports against the Guyanese Government.

In 2023, the Guyana Embassy in the U.S had also filed a complaint to the U.S Department of State against Burke.

In response to the letters by the Attorney General Anil Nandlall, Mr. Burke dismissed the Attorney General request for the US to render assistance for him to be prosecuted as desperate and unlawful.

He said he is not afraid of AG Nandlall or any of his antics, which he described as “unlawful”.

Burke has accused the Government of Guyana of trying to frame him in connection with matters that have taken place in Guyana, pointing out that he has not been in Guyana for more than 20 years.

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