The Guyana Police Force today expressed concern over the leak of a video recording of an interview and confrontation of suspects in a fraud case involving a businessman and two former media workers.

The video recording of the Police interview was released on the page of New York based rights activist Rickford Burke. A wanted bulletin was issued by the Police for Burke in relation to the same fraud allegations. Burke has repeatedly denied the accusations and has accused the Police of a political witchunt.

The Guyana Police Force said the video recordings were only shared with the Attorneys for the three persons charged in the case and the Court and the Police Force is convinced that the leak might have come from the Attorneys for the suspects.

In a statement, the Police Force said while there were three recordings handed over, only one was conveniently released.

“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”, the Police said.

The Force said in the other two recordings, two of the suspects implicated Rickford Burke in the matter as the owner of a news page which has carried stories related to a car dealer and an alleged extortion plot.

The Police said the video leak 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”.

It has not indicated what actions, if any, it intends to take in the matter.

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