Seventeen men were today remanded to prison on terrorism charges in connection with a series of actions that contributing to unrest across the country on the night of April 28.
The men appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts to face the charges which were brought under the Terrorism Act.
They are accused of lighting fires in public roadways, looting businesses, and creating chaos in several communities, including Cemetery Road, Hunter Street, Sussex Street, Hill Street, and Durban Backlands.
According to the charges, the group is accused of acting with the intent to strike terror in the minds of the public, allegedly placing and igniting wood, debris, and other objects along major roadways, causing fires and destruction that disrupted traffic, threatened public safety, and damaged property.
In addition to the terrorism-related offences, some of the accused were charged with break and enter and larceny after allegedly raiding a Chinese-operated supermarket during the chaos.
Nine of the men, Kerwin Baksh, 39, a self-employed vendor; Devon Lewis, 22, a porter; Randy Benjamin, 26, a taxi driver; Alex Atkinson, 19, unemployed; Aidan Cuffy, 21, a construction worker; Jason Hardy, 25, also a construction worker; Tyrese Hassanah, 21, a porter; Faizal Kennedy, 23, a delivery rider; and Jumal Singh, 25, a mechanical engineer — are accused of breaking into the supermarket located along Cemetery Road between Toucan Street and Middle Road, La Penitence. There, they allegedly stole approximately $6 million worth of groceries, phone cards, alcohol, snacks, and hardware supplies, property of Chinese nationals Gin Baolin and Tian Chi Lin.
Two other men, Emmanuel James, 18, a tradesman of Independence Boulevard, and Jamal Small, 27, a fish vendor of James Street, Albouystown, were also charged for a separate burglary at the same supermarket’s Hunter Street location, between West Front Road and Mandela Avenue. The stolen items were valued at approximately $500,000. Prosecutors allege that James and Small also lit fires on the roadway at the same location in an attempt to terrorise the public, an act captured in viral social media videos that showed thick smoke and road obstructions in the city’s busiest corridors.
Three more men, Sherwain Nelson, 20, of Lot 775 West Front Road, who does odd jobs; Desafio Harvey, 20, a former military officer of Lot 135 King Edward Street, Albouystown; and Qulient Elgin, 53, a vendor also of Albouystown, were charged with committing similar terrorist acts at Sussex Street and Hill Street, where they allegedly placed debris on the road and set it alight, causing damage and panic among residents.
The final group, Kevin James, 34, Antonio Lawrence, 19, and Vincent Trim, 27, all construction workers from Durban Backlands, were charged in connection with the incident in their own neighbourhood. The men allegedly blocked the roadway with wood and other items before setting them on fire, again with the alleged intent of instilling fear in the public and causing destruction.
None of the accused was required to plead to the indictable charges. The prosecution strongly objected to bail, citing the serious nature of the offences and the potential threat to public safety. Magistrate Fabayo Azore subsequently remanded all 17 defendants to prison until May 28.
Meanwhile, police say investigations are still underway and that additional arrests may be made as they continue to review evidence and interview witnesses.
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