FORMER Lieutenant Colonel in the Reserve, Leonard Wharton, Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Major Bruce Munroe and his wife, Carol-Ann Munroe were yesterday remanded to prison on charges of treason. Before Acting Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry, they were accused of having, between December 1, 2009 and December 16, 2010, plotted to level war within Guyana to force the President out of office in order to compel the Government to change its measures.
All shackled and handcuffed, the prisoners were ordered to be back in Court on January 7, when a date will be set for the commencement of the preliminary inquiry (PI) in the case.
Munroe, reportedly, the first woman to be charged with treason in this country is a teacher and owner of the Soesdyke based Achievers’ School.
Mr. Nigel Hughes, in association with Mr. Gregory Gaskin for the Defence, declared that the allegation is baseless and requested special provisions to be made for Mrs. Munroe, on the ground that she is schizophrenic.
Police Inspector, Fazil Karimbaksh, prosecuting, informed that the Prosecution has four witnesses and will be ready to proceed in two months.
But investigations are still ongoing, the Prosecutor said.
However, when Hughes questioned the length of time requested by the Prosecutor, Karimbaksh reduced it to one month.
Hughes said he believed that, by now, the Prosecution should be prepared because the offence was alleged since 2009 and the Prosecutor disclosed that the investigation only began this month.
Karimbaksh said the Police received certain information that the three accused recruited persons to create mayhem in this country to overthrow the Government.
The capital offence charge against the trio has its origin in the arson at the Ministry of Health, Brickdam, attempts at Richard Ishmael Secondary School and the Supreme Court building and the gun attack at Brickdam Police Station, all in July 2009.
Colin Jones called ‘Bunny’, a recently self-confessed murderer and Kurt Thierens alias ‘Bage’ and ‘Glasses’, who the former admitted killing, had mysteriously escaped from Providence Police Station, East Bank Demerara, on July 27 last year, when they were being held pending a probe into terrorist attacks and murder.
Jones, however, was nabbed at Amelia’s Ward, Linden last month.