FORMER Government Minister, Simona Broomes, and her driver/bodyguard, Dexter Austin, were, on Monday, August 17, 2020, ‘hauled’ before the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court to answer to a series of criminal charges.

Broomes and Austin appeared before Magistrate Leron Daly on a total of 12 charges and were represented by attorney-at-law Nigel Hughes

They both pleaded not guilty to the charges and were released on self-bail.

The first charge alleged that the duo, on August 3, 2020, at Sophia, used threatening language towards Dion Younge, who is a People Progressive Party/Civic councillor.
The second charge also alleged that the duo unlawfully retrained Younge.

The last joint charge alleged that Broomes and Austin caused public terror.

Broomes was separately charged for assaulting Younge so as to cause him actual bodily harm.
Meanwhile, Austin was charged for discharging a firearm within 100 yards of public space.
The case was adjourned until August 31, 2020.

The Guyana Chronicle had reported that, on August 3, Broomes took to a Facebook livestream while she was in pursuit of two men who had ripped off ‘No fishing’ signs from her private property. Broomes and her driver trailed the men all the way from her Meadowbrook Home to the Sophia area where she confronted them about their business at her private residence.

The former minister who appeared to be distressed at the time of the livestream said that when she had first inquired their reason for being at her home and destroying her signs, they hurled death threats at her and made an attempt to escape.

During the confrontation Broomes identified one of the men as Younge, a former schoolmate and a Council Member of the PPP/C.
Meanwhile the men, who were seen clearly in the Facebook livestream maintained their innocence of the allegations.
During the confrontation, Young was reportedly assaulted while Austin, who is a rural constable, pulled out his service weapon and discharged several rounds.