Guyanese Businessman Living In Barbados Dies Whilst Under Arrest For Covid-19 Protocol Breach

Hamenauth Sarendranauth, a Guyanese businessman living in Barbados who fought for bail on COVID-19 charges, died yesterday, the day he was supposed to return to court.

And Queen’s Counsel Michael Lashley, who filed the urgent bail application to get the first-time offender out of prison after he became gravely ill on remand, said the tragic turn of events should signal the need for a gentler approach in the uncharted waters of COVID-19.

Sarendranauth was at the centre of a family feud with prison authorities after, while on remand at HMP Dodds, he was transferred to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) without his family’s knowledge, which they discovered two weeks later. Sarendranauth’s plight sparked public debate about how those who violated the COVID-19 directives should be treated, as he was initially remanded for a month pending sentencing.

On February 17, a Guyanese businessman who had been operating here for over 20 years pleaded guilty to violating the Emergency Management COVID-19 Protocols Special Curfew No. 3 Directive 2021 by operating a non-essential service and failing to remain closed on February 14 and February 16.