Two men were charged with attempting to overthrow the...

Two men were charged with attempting to overthrow the Guyana government, with one of them being remanded to prison.
Chief Magistrate Juliet Holder Allen refused bail to Mark Benschop, a television talk-show host, and remanded him to custody until 23 July. The other co-accused, Phillip Bynoe, is still at large and an arrest warrant has been issued for his arrest.
People charged with treason are not eligible for bail and if the accused is convicted, he or she is sentenced to death. Police said the duo allegedly formed an intention between 1 June [as received] and 3 July to overthrow the lawfully-elected government of Guyana by force and also conspired with other people to forcibly enter the compound and premises of the Presidential Complex.
Police also said Bynoe and Benschop were present at the scene and encouraged others by words and conduct to unlawfully overtake and storm the compound and premises of the Presidential Complex.
The incident at the Presidential Complex occurred on 3 July, while Caribbean Community (Caricom) leaders were having their annual summit in Guyana. At least 3,000 anti-government demonstrators had marched from several East Coast Demerara villages to protest alleged racial discrimination and victimization against African Guyanese by the East Indian dominated government.
The killing by the Presidential Police Guard of two of the protesters, and the arrest of 16 others, sparked off [the] looting of stores and burning of vehicles. The main opposition People's National Congress/Reform (PNC/R) has accepted responsibility for bringing the protesters on to the streets but denied directing them to storm the Presidential Complex and commit other offences.