SCHOOL teacher Ronald Forde, 25, who is facing allegations of sexual activity with a student, has been granted $300,000 bail by Acting Chief Justice Ian Chang.
Before securing the grant, last Friday, he had been refused in the Magistrate’s Court. Forde, a bachelor, of lot 2 Section ‘A’ Bel Air, West Coast Berbice is charged with committing the offence under the recently promulgated Section 18 of the Sexual Offences Act.

It is alleged that, between September 1 and October 31, 2010, at Fort Wellington Secondary School, West Coast Berbice, Forde engaged in sexual activity with a teenager, by penetrating her vagina with his penis and, at the material time, the girl was 14 years of age, a student receiving instruction at the learning institution at which the accused, as a  teacher, did not reasonably believe that the victim was 18 years or over and knew or reasonably could have expected to have known of the position of trust he held in relation to the minor.

However, in an affidavit supporting the petition on which the judge acted, Wilton Nelson, grandfather of the accused, said the prosecutor in the lower court had objected to bail on the ground of the gravity of the crime and the likelihood that Forde might flee the jurisdiction or tamper with the witnesses.

The petitioner said the police claimed the accused was previously on a similar charge but presented no such evidence.

The sworn testimony, presented by attorney-at-law Mr. Charrandas Persaud, said the accused is willing to lodge his passport as security, resign from the teaching post, cease residing in the district and attend any police station as directed by the court.