The Guyana Police Force said it will appeal a court ruling that dismissed two cybercrime charges against Bryan MacIntosh, called “Bryan Max.”
Senior Magistrate Fabayo Azore dismissed the charges on July 9, 2026. MacIntosh had been charged on November 23, 2023 under the Cybercrime Act No. 16 of 2018.
The first charge accused him of using a computer system to attempt to excite hostility or ill will on the ground of race, in contravention of Section 18(1)(e) and contrary to Section 18(2) of the Act, in relation to remarks about Vice President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo. The second charge accused him of attempting to excite ethnic divisions on the ground of race under the same sections.
The charges arose from a Facebook Live video in which MacIntosh said, among other things, “Jagdeo is pay critic everyday fa call black people hungry belly and low lives, every day he get a cheque from Jagdeo, every day, he get a good job, come come and collect lil money, come and collect a bag ah money, call them hungry belly and low lives, call the black people hungry belly and low lives, cuss deh leader, cuss deh leader and demean the leader into nothing.”
Bryan MacIntosh further stated:
“Critic is being given friendship deals because he does do Jagdeo work, cuss black people every day, hungry belly and nasty belly low lives, cuss dem whole day as payment for critic cussing black people, Jagdeo does give critic a big contract.”
Ruling on the first charge, the court found that any hostility the remarks might generate stemmed from the conduct attributed to Jagdeo rather than his race, and that the words did not encourage or invite Afro-Guyanese people to direct hostility toward him because of his race.
On the second charge, the court said the prosecution needed to show MacIntosh had attempted to promote division between Guyana’s ethnic communities on the ground of race. It found the evidence did not support that inference, noting the words did not advocate separation between ethnic groups, urge one community against another, promote racial superiority or inferiority, or encourage discrimination.
The Guyana Police Force said it had reviewed the ruling and the trial evidence and believes the evidence was capable of establishing a prima facie case, adding that the magistrate’s decision warrants appellate review.
