October 1 2026

Jimol Murphy, the brother of sanctioned businessman Mark “Demon” Cromwell, was on Thursday granted $1 million bail after appearing in court on an abduction charge linked to the disappearance of two Surinamese men.

Murphy, 33, a driver and contractor of Vigilance, East Coast Demerara, appeared before Magistrate Shareefah Parks, who presided virtually from the Fort Wellington Magistrates’ Court.

He was charged under Section 4 of the Kidnapping Act in connection with the alleged abduction of the two men at Rosignol, West Bank Berbice, on August 29, 2026.

Murphy was arrested on September 25 and was not required to enter a plea when the charge was read to him.

His attorneys, Siand Dhurjon, Mark Waldron and Meshon Persaud, opposed the prosecution’s objection to bail, arguing that the evidence does not establish that an offence occurred.

The defence also maintained that investigators have not produced evidence to disprove Murphy’s account that he was in Georgetown and Houston at the time of the alleged incident.

The lawyers further argued that there is no evidence that the two missing men came to harm and pointed to information indicating that they entered a vehicle voluntarily. The defence also raised the possibility that the men may have travelled onward from Guyana.

Magistrate Parks granted Murphy $1 million bail, with an order for him to lodge his passport and report every Friday to the Major Crimes Unit of the Criminal Investigations Department.

The matter was adjourned to October 19, 2026.

Missing Surinamese Men at Centre of Investigation

The court case comes as authorities continue searching for 28-year-old Siegello Lorenzo Van Dalen and 29-year-old Derryl Danillo Bont, two Surinamese nationals who have been missing since travelling from Suriname to Guyana.

The men reportedly left their respective addresses in Suriname on August 28 in a Toyota Vitz, travelling towards Nickerie. Their disappearance was reported to Surinamese and Guyanese authorities on September 19.

Investigators subsequently focused on a vehicle registered in the name of Cromwell’s wife after the two men were reportedly seen entering the vehicle.

Police then turned their attention to Cromwell’s premises at Vigilance, East Coast Demerara, as part of efforts to determine the men’s whereabouts.

Search Attempt Triggers Unrest

Over the past two days, attempts by police to search the Vigilance property have been accompanied by significant unrest in the community.

Police reportedly encountered resistance while attempting to execute a search warrant at the premises, with burning debris and flames blocking access to the area.

A lorry was also set alight during the confrontation on the Vigilance Public Road, while sections of the roadway were reportedly blocked by burning materials.

The disturbances have unfolded as investigators seek to determine what happened to the two Surinamese men and whether they are still in Guyana.

Police have not publicly confirmed that the missing men were harmed or that they are at Cromwell’s property.

Murphy’s charge remains before the court, while the investigation into the disappearance of Van Dalen and Bont continues.