Stabroek News
May 16, 2001

Television host of "University on 9", Ronald Waddell was yesterday charged with two counts of sedition and the court issued an arrest warrant for him a few hours after it had placed him on $1 million surety.

Chief Magistrate Paul Fung-A-Fat placed the controversial television personality on the bail bond after he was read two indictable charges of sedition. However, at about 1530 hrs Fung-A-Fat returned to his chambers to hear an arrest warrant application from the police. This he granted after being satisfied that there had been a "procedural error".

According to reports, after Waddell left the precincts of the court it was discovered that the piece of paper he had signed was invalid since it was not prepared in keeping with procedures. Moreover, no document to the tune of the bond had been lodged with the court. When a defendant is granted bail in the form of surety, documents to the value of the bail are required to be lodged with the court.

In short, one clerk explained, the Subryanville resident was on his own recognizance. But even in that scenario, the recognizance sheet had not been properly completed, so what the court had before it was a piece of paper.

Yesterday, the police claimed that Waddell uttered and published to the citizens of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, on January 17, 2001, a seditious speech, wherein he stated:

"We have heard the PPP (interruption by M.B. [Mark Benschop]). We, we have been informed and reliably so, that ah the PPP received 1,000 AK 47's out of the cache of weapons that passed through here to go to Colombia. A matter of fact ah our information is that it was 100,000 AK 47's and out of that ah the PPP received 1,000 and that this 1,000 weapons have been distributed in the Mahaicony River. I think there is a group being trained there ah PPP activists they are known as the 'RED BERETS' and they are being trained in warfare and so on ah I think the plan is to in case they decide they are not going to hand over or what ever is to try to stop our Disciplined Services from exercising control over the entire country," the purpose of which was to promote feelings of ill will and hostility between different groups of Guyanese citizens.

He was also alleged to have said on April 9:

"Mark ah discrimination by government is unlawful it is illegal, and this government, I have ah, confidential information from one of their own people, has distributed more than 40,000 gun licences up to the end of 1999 ah up to the end of the year of 2000. Between then and March the Elections, I don't know how many more thousands but I know there would be probably be tens of thousands more that were distributed. The point is that if they were distributed to PPP supporters this is the point that I am making, so that it is discriminatory and illegal to do that, So that is the government ah takes a position that it is going to discriminate against some Guyanese in favour of others in fact what they are doing is arming a section of the population, then I think it would be a matter of necessity which would protected under the law for the other section of the population to also are themselves, ah because you see there is a legal ah, principle people are faced with genocide from one section of the population, they are empowered under the constitution which has an implied clause of necessity to do whatever is necessary in order to defend themselves from genocide. So I believe that we have now got the right to ensure that we get whatever equipment that is necessary in order to defend ourselves from the attacks by these people who have armed one section of the population and are using those arms in a way to terrorize, brutalize and kill that section of the population" the purpose of which inter alia was to raise discomfort or disaffection amongst Guyanese citizens.

Attorney-at-law, James Patterson, appearing for Waddell, argued that these charges were bad in law since they did not disclose any offence known to the Laws of Guyana. He asked the court to identify which offence had been breached, to which Police Prosecutor, Inspector Wreford Johnson replied that he wished to seek advice from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).

Before a courtroom filled with more than ten lawyers, PNC REFORM leader Desmond Hoyte, SC, included, Patterson urged the magistrate not to place his client on any bail since no legality was breached. In support of his colleague Lloyd Joseph said "we cannot sit and allow illegality to take place when we are in the eyes of the law and are required to behave as if the laws protect citizens."

Fung-A-Fat, after giving brief descriptions of each attorney present, replied that he could not really say if an offence had been committed, but added that the police had not really charged Waddell under any criminal offences act. He opined that the charge spoke for itself.

Given this background, Patterson urged that his client be allowed to go free, minus any burdens to the court but the magistrate insisted on his course of action much to the disapproval of the packed courtroom. As the noise grew he quickly adjourned court. All attention then turned towards a woman some people alleged had a gun. But even her moment of glory was short-lived as former host of the television talk show "Straight Up", Mark Benschop, was present.

When Benschop attempted to leave the courtyard in Waddell's company, Inspector John Sauers grabbed him by his necktie. His supporters, who were about to depart with him zeroed in, and tempers flared.

However, Sauers refused to let go, while Benschop insisted that he be shown an arrest warrant. Attorney-at-law, Basil Williams intervened and Benschop was released. Another officer then explained that Benschop was wanted for questioning by the police. Williams assured that he was going to accompany his client and things returned to normal.

The matter comes up again for hearing on Friday.