Magistrate Faith McGusty publicly criticized the Guyana Police Force (GPF) on Thursday for issuing what she deemed a misleading statement regarding her decision to grant bail in a high-profile acid attack case.
At the start of court proceedings, McGusty expressed her surprise at both the tone and content of the police release, stating that it misrepresented the events that unfolded in her courtroom. “I wish to indicate that it seems that the Guyana Police Force received erroneous information,” she remarked. “The Force would be better served having someone appear before the court so that they could have the correct information.”
The Magistrate emphasized the importance of conducting thorough investigations and ensuring that all information presented to the court is accurately filtered through prosecutors. “I saw things in that statement that were never told to me in court and yet it seems like it was trial by public opinion,” she stated firmly. “I do not have trials by public opinion.”
In response to the incident, McGusty announced that all proceedings before her will now be recorded to prevent future misrepresentations. “I am determined that each and every prosecutor, when matters are brought before the court, I will have a recording done so that no one can misinterpret what was said or what happened in court,” she declared.
The comments come after the Police criticized McGusty for granting $500,000 bail to Keron Daniels, who is charged with dousing two women, Jilicia Leitch and Nirmala Sukraj, with corrosive fluid during an attack in Georgetown on September 3.
According to the police, Daniels was first remanded on September 16 but was granted bail the following day, despite strong objections from prosecutors. The objections were based on the existence of a video-recorded confession and the serious medical condition of one of the victims, who has lost sight in one eye and suffered permanent facial disfigurement.
The police also highlighted a history of conflict between Daniels and one of the women, along with her urgent pleas for justice from her hospital bed. They argued that these factors, coupled with the broader issue of violence against women in Guyana, should significantly influence bail considerations.
While the police described the court’s ruling as a setback, they vowed to continue pressing for justice and intensifying efforts to combat violence against women in the country.
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