Prominent businessman Amier Ahmad has taken legal action against Facebook activist Rickford Burke, serving him with a lawyer’s letter demanding a retraction of defamatory statements. Burke, who currently resides in the United States and is reportedly avoiding law enforcement officials in Guyana, published several posts on his Facebook page that insinuated Ahmad’s involvement in unlawful activities.
On October 16, 2024, Burke published a post that read: “BREAKING NEWS: SOCU ALLEGEDLY RECOMMENDS CRIMINAL CHARGES AGAINST GUYANA’S POLICE COMMISSIONER CLIFTON HICKEN, ASSISTANT COMMISSIONER CALVIN BRUTUS, BUSINESSMAN AMIER AHMAD & OTHERS AS MULTIPLE GUYANA POLICE SCANDALS THREATEN TO BRING DOWN ITS ENTIRE TOP LEADERSHIP.”
In the same post, Burke claimed that the Special Organized Crime Unit (SOCU) had recommended criminal charges against Ahmad, alongside senior members of the Guyana Police Force, including Commissioner Clifton Hicken and Assistant Commissioner Calvin Brutus.
Burke’s post also included a picture of Ahmad, further suggesting that he was part of alleged criminal activities.
Two days earlier, on October 14, 2024, Burke published another post under the headline: “GUYANA’S POLICE COMMISSIONER ALLEGEDLY ACCEPTED $8.5 MILLION FROM OWNER OF A COMPANY THAT IS ALLEGEDLY UNDER INVESTIGATION BY US LAW ENFORCEMENT AND DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY.”
In this article, Burke alleged that Ahmad, the CEO of Sheriff Security, had paid $8.5 million to Police Commissioner Clifton Hicken to cover the wedding expenses of Assistant Commissioner Calvin Brutus. Burke also claimed that Ahmad and his company were under investigation by U.S. authorities, including the Office of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence.
Ahmad, through his attorney, has denied the allegations and is demanding a full retraction of the articles, along with an unequivocal apology from Burke. The terms for the retraction and apology must be agreed upon by Ahmad, failing which legal proceedings will be initiated.
