Magistrate Daly to preside over Bascom trial set for next year February
Weeks after the Director of Public Prosecution, Shalimar Ali-Hack, wrote to the acting Chancellor of the Judiciary, Yonette Cummings-Edwards, asking for Senior Magistrate Leron Daly to recuse herself from the matter against Police Detective Dion Bascom, the Magistrate will be presiding over the trial.
On Tuesday, when the matter was called, the Senior Magistrate recused herself and transferred the case back to Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan.
However, the Chief Magistrate noted that there was no good reason for her to recuse herself from the matter and sent it back to her court’s room.
Notwithstanding, the Senior Magistrate set February 20, 2023, for the commencement of the trial.
On September 29, Magistrate Daly held Police Legal Advisor Mandel Moore in contempt after he had reportedly disobeyed her order to hand over video footage of a press conference that Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum and Police Commissioner (ag) Clifton Hicken had a few weeks back.
In light of this, the DPP wrote the Chancellor, seeking for Magistrate Daly to recuse herself.
Last month, Bascom was arraigned before Chief Magistrate and denied the three charges, which alleged that between August 13 and 19, he used a computer system to transmit electronic data with the intent to humiliate, harass or cause substantial emotional distress to Superintendents Mitchell Ceasar and Chabinauth Singh.
As such, he was released on $100,000 bail on each count. Bascom had to lodge his passport and report to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Headquarters every other Friday as a condition for bail.
Sergeant Bascom took social media by a storm last month, hours after he was released from Police custody after being arrested in connection with a drug bust at a Norton Street, Georgetown residence.
He had claimed that there was a conspiracy to kill him and cover up the murder of Ricardo Fagundes, known as ‘Paper Shorts.’
Fagundes was riddled with bullets in March 2021 as he exited the Palm Court on Main Street, Georgetown. In fact, Bascom accused several members of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) of taking a bribe to cover up Fagundes’ murder while noting that there was a conspiracy to kill him.
Superintendent Caesar and city businessman Azruddin Mohamed had sent Bascom a lawyer’s letter, demanding a public apology and financial compensation.
However, Sergeant Bascom said he stands by his statement while noting that he has evidence to prove his case.
Mohamed then moved to the High Court and slapped Bascom with a 200 million lawsuit.
