A Partnership For National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) Members of Parliament Christopher Jones and Annette Ferguson, along with six other persons were on Friday jointly charged for allegedly taking part in an illegal procession, contrary to Section Five of the Public Order Act.

They appeared before Magistrate Leron Daly at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court along with Mark Griffith, Travis Ellis, Gordon Lucas and George Halley. Two other persons were also charged, but did not appear.

The alleged illegal procession in contention pertains to a gathering of APNU+AFC supporters within the vicinity of the Demerara High Court on April 26, 2021, the day of the ruling of the Elections Petition, 88 of 2020, which was thrown out by Chief Justice (ag) Roxane George, C.C.H, S.C.

They all denied that on the day in question, between Croal and Regent Streets, Georgetown, they took part in a public procession without the permission, in writing, of the Commissioner of Police first being obtained.

They were placed on $20,000 bail each and are expected to return to court of May 14; Ferguson was placed on an additional $10,000 bail for a second charge of allegedly obstructing a peace officer on the same date, to which she also pleaded not guilty.

They were represented by a battery of lawyers, namely, Joseph Harmon, Darren Wade, Geeta Chandan-Edmond and Ronald Daniels, who told reporters outside the courthouse on Tuesday morning that the charges are “frivolous” and “vexatious.”