Two reporters who have been fingered in an alleged extortion plot against car dealer Afras Mohamed appeared in Court this morning to face charges.

The two, 49-year-old Alex Wayne and 41-year-old Gary Eleazer appeared before Magistrate Fabayo Azore and pleaded not guilty to the joint charges of conspiracy to commit a felony.

The presiding Magistrate granted them bail in the sum of $100,000 each and the case will be heard again on the 1st November 2022.

The Guyana Police Force over the weekend confirmed that the two were arrested for allegedly demanding a sum of money from businessman Afras Mohamed to remove an article about his business from a Facebook page.

While the Attorney General in a release initially claimed that the two men were arrested as part of a sting operation and that they were nabbed after receiving $1 million in cash, in Court today, the charge made reference to an alleged extortion plot of $150,000.

The Court was told that the two claimed to be working for a Facebook page carrying the name Guyana News Network and allegedly told the businessman that they can get the article about him removed if they were paid $150,000.

The Guyana News Network Facebook page has since distanced itself from the two men, indicating that the two have never worked for the information page and were never administrators of the social media page.

The Guyana Police Force has also sought to link the management of the page to overseas based Guyanese political activist Rickford Burke.

Mr. Burke has accused the Police by its statement of targeting him and he has since engaged his local Attorneys to take action in the matter.

Meanwhile, the Guyana Police Force still has a wanted bulletin for businessman Derwain Bess who is accused of being connected to the two reporters.

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