The owner of the popular Sleepin Hotel, Clifton Bacchus along with others were on Monday charged for breaching the national Covid-19 curfew.
In addition to Bacchus, the hotel’s cashier and two patrons were also charged.
The four defendants appeared before Magistrate Sherdell Isaacs at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.
The charge against Bacchus stated that on March 12, at Sleepin, Church Street, Georgetown, he breached the curfew imposed between the hours of 10:30pm and 04:00am. After the charge was read, Bacchus entered a not guilty plea.
The defendant’s attorney, Latchmie Rahamat, told the court that the charge against her client is unlawful. The attorney argued that the defendant was being charged under the same section of the law which lists his business as an essential service.
Rahamat explained that, according to the stipulated guidelines, hotels, interior lodges and guest houses are listed as essential services and are granted permission to operate 24 hours. As such, she asked for the dismissal of the matter against her client.
However, the police prosecutor told the court that a file containing charges for curfew breaches at the Sleepin Hotel has been sent to the Director of Public Prosecution for advice as to whether the defendants are to be charged or not.
As such, Magistrate Sherdell Isaacs released Bacchus on bail in the sum of $10,000.
Similarly, the hotel’s cashier, Shontelle Marshall, was also released on $10,000 bail.
Marshall, 33, denied the charge which stated that on March 12, at Sleepin, Church Street, Georgetown, she breached the curfew imposed between the hours of 10:30pm and 04:00am.
Additionally, the hotel’s patrons Tyson Wickham and Althea Agard appeared for breaching the curfew. Wickham and Agard both pleaded guilty to the charges against them. However, a not guilty plea was entered by the presiding Magistrate as the validity of the charge is still in question.
It is alleged that on April 2, at Sleepin, Church street, they breached the curfew imposed between the hours of 10:30pm and 04:00am
Like the proprietor and the cashier, the patrons were also granted bail in the sum of $10,000 each. The matters have all been adjourned to May 17.
