By Alethea Grant | HGP Nightly News |
GEORGETOWN MAGISTRATES’ COURT — Severe procedural discrepancies surrounding how an unlicensed weapon was purportedly discovered, coupled with the state’s failure to produce CCTV footage of the confrontation, took center stage at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court on Friday as constitutional Leader of the Opposition Azruddin Mohamed and two employees secured pre-trial bail.
Presiding Principal Magistrate Faith McGusty granted bail to Mohamed, his driver Eugene Thorne, and videographer Mario Mohamed on each charge for $250,000, while imposing strict reporting and protective conditions on their liberty.
The magistrate’s ruling highlighted the deeply conflicting factual narratives between law enforcement and the defense, giving significant weight to allegations that the disputed firearm only appeared during a contentious “second search” of the vehicle, and to the conspicuous absence of municipal or residential surveillance footage to substantiate police claims.
The Charges and Courtroom Arguments
The three men were arraigned on three joint criminal counts arising from the armed confrontation on Monday night, October 12, outside the Barr Street, Kitty residence of Special Branch Head, Senior Superintendent Prem Narine:
- The Charges Laid: Mohamed, Thorne, and Mario Mohamed were jointly charged with possession of a firearm without a license and possession of ammunition without a license. The Crown also laid a third charge—attempting to obstruct the course of justice—indictably, meaning the accused were not required to plead.
- The Defense Challenge: Lead attorney Siand Dhurjon launched an aggressive challenge to the prosecution’s filings, highlighting chain-of-custody violations and demanding an explanation for why officers cleared the vehicle in an initial roadside search on Vlissengen Road before a weapon was later reported found.
- No Video of Searches: Attorney Damion DaSilva, representing Thorne, questioned the complete absence of body-camera or station video documenting the physical search of the vehicle.
- Political Victimization: Senior Counsel Roysdale Forde, appearing on behalf of Mario Mohamed, argued that the three men were targets caught in a wider state-sponsored political confrontation designed to dismantle the constitutional opposition.
Magistrate Flags Flawed Search Claims and Imposes Strict Curbs
In deciding to grant bail despite strong objections from police prosecutors, Magistrate McGusty cited unresolved contradictions in the state’s narrative:
- Disputed Weapon Discovery: The magistrate explicitly noted the disputed circumstances surrounding the weapon’s recovery, specifically referencing defense arguments that an initial roadside stop yielded nothing illicit before a secondary search allegedly produced the firearm.
- Missing Video Evidence: The court emphasized that despite the encounter taking place in an urban residential district, no CCTV or surveillance recordings had been tendered by investigators to corroborate that shots were discharged from the defendants’ vehicle.
- Protective Conditions: In granting release, Magistrate McGusty ordered all three men to surrender their passports to the clerk of court and issued a strict restraining order barring them from having any direct or indirect contact with prosecution witnesses—specifically Senior Superintendent Prem Narine and members of his immediate family.
Mohamed Reasserts ‘Assassination Attempt’ and Alleges Police Ambush
Addressing members of the press immediately after posting bail, Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed dismissed the charges as entirely concocted, reiterating his claim that the encounter was an orchestrated ambush:
- Allegations of an Ambush: Mohamed alleged that Senior Superintendent Narine acted as the sole aggressor, claiming that the officer advanced on their car and discharged his weapon at close range without provocation.
- Demand for Surveillance Footage: The Opposition Leader challenged authorities to release surveillance footage from nearby cameras, insisting video evidence would vindicate his account.
“They tried to kill me… let them release that,” Mohamed told reporters outside the courthouse.
Recalling the encounter outside Narine’s residence, Mohamed claimed Narine drew down on the car from mere feet away:
“If you see how Prem Narine came… not more than eight feet.”
The State’s Conflicting Account
The police maintain that around 11:45 PM on Monday, Narine heard what sounded like a gunshot discharged from a passing tinted vehicle carrying Mohamed and his employees outside his residence. Police claim Narine returned fire using his service-issued weapon before pursuing the vehicle, culminating in the interception and discovery of an unlicensed .32 Taurus pistol under the accelerator pedal.
With all three defendants released on bail and strict conditions enforced, the case now heads toward disclosure and preliminary hearings, where ballistic testing, gunshot residue analyses, and the contested handling of the vehicle will face exhaustive legal scrutiny.
