TWO Reporters, were, on Tuesday, released on $200,000 bail each for allegedly conspiring with each other to extort money from a businessman to remove an offensive post that was published by Guyana News Network (GNN), a “slanderous” online entity.

Gary Eleazar and Alex Wayne appeared before Senior Magistrate Fabayo Azore at the Cove and John Magistrate’s Court and pleaded not guilty to two counts of conspiracy to commit a felony.

Particulars of the first charge alleged that the duo, between August 27 and September 23, 2022, at Lusignan, East Coast Demerara, conspired together with other persons to publish defamatory libel against Afras Mohamed with a view to extort the sum of $150,000.

The second charge alleged that the pair, during the same period in question, conspired with others, and offered to abstain from publishing defamatory libel against Mohamed with a view to extort the sum of $150,00 from him.

The men did not have any legal representation but were released on $200,000 bail each. The matter was adjourned until November 1, 2022.

On September 23, Eleazar and Wayne were arrested by police during a sting operation along the East Coast of Demerara.

Reports are that Mohamed, on August 29, filed a report to the police claiming that GNN posted an article with his photograph attached, alleging that he was involved in illegal activities.

In a statement to the police, the businessman allegedly denied the claims and stated that it was an attempt to humiliate, embarrass, and cause him emotional distress.

The victim told investigators that he was contacted by the duo, who are allegedly close associates of businessman, Dorwain Bess, with whom he has an ongoing dispute and told him that it was he who told them to publish the article. They then allegedly demanded a large sum to remove the said post.

According to the report, the police, as a result of the information given by Mohamed, conducted the sting operation and gave the businessman marked bills to give the duo.

The two reportedly arrived at the location and during a conversation with Mohamed, they allegedly demanded money to remove the offensive Facebook post.
Based on the report, the duo admitted that they were among the admins on the GNN page. They reportedly revealed too that an APNU+AFC activist, Rickford Burke, is also an admin on the page.

The men were reportedly arrested by police with the divided cash on them. The police also confiscated two cellular phones and a laptop which was also found in their possession.

According to the report, ranks also conducted a further search at the home of one of the reporters and seized a laptop and three hard drives.

While under caution, one of the suspects reportedly admitted that he acted in concert with the other along with the businessman who has an ongoing feud with the victim, to create and publish the said post on GNN’s Facebook page, the report stated.

It is alleged that Eleazar, while under caution told police that he was contacted by Bess, who told him that a businessman was evading taxes on imported vehicles and he subsequently wrote an article on the matter.

The said article was then sent to Bess, who then sent it to Burke, who added several paragraphs before it was posted on the GNN’s Facebook page and website.

Eleazar reportedly told police that he had access to the GNN website for over a year and was given the website’s password and username by Burke to manage the website. He admitted to uploading and writing about five articles for the site.

Police have since issued a wanted bulletin for Bess’ arrest in connection to the crime.

Burke in another section of the media has denied any association with the controversial post and the online entity in question.