Businessman slapped with conspiracy charges over $90M extortion plot
A 45-year-old businessman was on Thursday slapped with two counts of conspiracy to commit a felony and released on $200,000 bail.
Dorwain Bess of Bel Air Park, Georgetown, was hauled before Magistrate Fabayo Azore at the Vigilance Magistrate’s Court and pleaded not guilty to the charges.
He was ordered to lodge his passport and report to the Major Crimes Unit every Friday starting from tomorrow. In light of this, the matter was adjourned to September 30, 2022.
Bess came to the fore after Alex Wayne and Gary Eleazar – two former reporters of Kaieteur News, were arrested for allegedly attempting to export $90 million from an auto dealer.
Eleazar alleged he was contacted by Bess, who told him that the auto dealer was evading taxes on imported vehicles. As such, he wrote an article and sent it to Bess.
According to the Police, Bess sent it to overseas-based Guyanese Rickford Burke, and several paragraphs were added. The article was subsequently posted on theFacebook page and website of the Guyana News Network (GNN).
This prompted the auto dealer to lodge a report with the Police, in which he said he was contacted by the ex-reporters, who asked for $90 million to remove the article.
As a result, the Police conducted a sting operation on the East Coast of Demerara and provided the businessman with $1 million marked cash.
The two former reporters arrived at the location, conversed with the businessman, and were handed $1 million from the auto dealer.
The two were subsequently intercepted, and the cash was found divided among them. The duo, who was charged with conspiracy to commit a felony, was released on $200,000 bail each earlier this week.
