DAYS after former TVG cameraman Andre Hetsberger was granted $200,000 High Court bail on a rape charge, he is yet to be released from prison due to an “administrative hiccup.”

In July, Chief Justice Roxane George-Wiltshire and Justices of Appeal Dawn Gregory and Rishi Persaud allowed an appeal and set aside a conviction for rape and 25-year sentence for Hetsberger. The Appeal Court also ordered a retrial for Hetsberger.

In February 2016, Hetsberger, 42, was found guilty by a 12-member mixed jury and was sentenced to 25 years’ imprisonment by Justice Navindra Singh at the Demerara High Court. Hetsberger was on trial for sexual activity with a 13-year-old girl on October 17, 2014.

In April 2019, an appeal was filed by attorney-at-law Dexter Todd against the severity of the sentence handed down by the trial judge.

However, on August 9, 2019, an application for bail was made before Justice Jo Ann Barlow at the High Court. Hetsberger was granted bail in the sum of $200,000.
Since that date, Hetsberger has not been released from the prison due to an “administrative hiccup.”

Speaking with the Guyana Chronicle on Monday, August 19, 2019, Hetsberger’s attorney, Todd, explained that when his client was tried at the Magistrate’s Court, he was indicted on two counts, which occurred on October 15, 2014, and October 17, 2014.

According to Todd, Hetsberger was committed to stand trial at the High Court for the two offences, but he was only tried for the offence which occurred on October 17, 2014.
Hetsberger was later convicted and sentenced on that charge at the High Court, which has been successfully appealed.

The lawyer stressed that his client was wrongly committed by the Magistrate for the charge dated October 15, 2014, since there was no evidence.
That charge should have been withdrawn by the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Todd pointed out.

Nevertheless, when Hetsberger was granted bail by Justice Barlow, the latter charge arose and caused him to remain on remand.

Todd explained that he has since written to the DPP seeking for the October 15, 2014 offence to be withdrawn. A reply is awaited.