|
|
Bandits strike twice
on the Corentyne
-police phones ring out,
victims claim
By Kim Lucas
Armed bandits struck twice in
Corentyne, Berbice early yesterday morning carting off close to $2M in local
currency, as well as a quantity of foreign notes and gold jewellery.
In both
cases, the victims complained of being unable to reach the police, either
because the phones at three stations rang out, or because two policemen
reportedly claimed that it was “too dark” to investigate. However, a senior
police source said that no one had made any such report to the authorities and
that all policemen had an obligation to investigate incidents despite the
darkness.
“The police are supposed to carry out their investigations, either
use a torchlight or use the light of a vehicle,” the officer stated.
The
first attack was launched at about 12:30 am while Bridgeanand Lildharry and his wife, Neeta, were
watching television in their home above their business place at the Number 64
Beach Road, Corentyne. Three masked men, two of whom were armed with handguns,
picked a lock, entered and demanded cash and gold jewellery. They reportedly
left with G$40,000, CAN$8,000 and $100,000 worth of jewellery.
Less than four
hours later, at 4:15 am at Lot ‘R’ Springlands, a lone gunman, dressed in black,
held up 52-year-old Dhanraj
Gharbarran and snatched $1.7M before escaping.
The man, who
operates Raj’s Pool Hall, and his security guard had just descended from the
three-storey premises and were about to go to the car in the driveway when the
masked intruder scaled the fence and shot at him.
“The shot passed over my
head... he [the bandit] motion for the bag and I gave it to him,” the
Holland-based businessman related. But the ordeal did not end there for the man.
Up until late yesterday afternoon, no police rank had visited his premises to
investigate the matter.
“I made a report at Springlands [Police Station].
They came... two of them and said it too dark and went away,” Gharbarran stated.
He had used his car, shortly after the attack, to transport the cops from the
precinct to his residence and back. The businessman added that his guard was
taken into custody. However, when contacted yesterday, a senior police source
told Stabroek News that no one was in custody for either robbery.
Gharbarran
returned to Guyana from Holland some four months ago and is expected to leave
again in October. He explained that he was on his way to the city to purchase
rice bags, since several businesspersons in the area had complained of a
shortage.
“I tell them I going Thursday and that they can come Friday,” the
man explained.
The Lildharrys, meanwhile, told Stabroek News that the
intruders, after entering their grilled home, immediately began demanding the
money and jewellery. At the time, their 19-year-old daughter was asleep in her
room.
“When they come in, they ‘Hands up!’ we and ask for the daily sales,”
Mrs Lildharry recounted.
“Me couldn’t do anything. They start fo cuss [and
say] they want the money... they want de sales. They hit me on meh neck back and
me get frighten and open de canister... Then they want de gold,” her husband
said.
The woman said the bandits started to hit her when she told them that
the business was rented out, therefore they (the family) had no sales money. She
was treated yesterday for a suspected fractured left wrist.
“They come in the
room and tumble up all over and they get some foreign currency and the local
money and jewellery... then they want to go in my daughter room and they want
she open the door. But I shout out, ‘Thief!’ and she start scream and they hit
me in meh head and go away,” the woman said.
The bandits immediately fled the
home and headed in the direction of Springlands. The woman claimed that the men
threatened her life before fleeing. According to the couple, repeated efforts to
reach the police at Skeldon and Numbers 64 and 51 Villages, proved unsuccessful.
They said two of the numbers were ringing out and the third gave a busy tone. It
was not until around 9:00 am that an officer from the village was informed of
the incident and went to investigate, the Lildharrys said.
“When you call fo
de police, nobody coming... this is not right,” the distraught woman told this
newspaper.
According to Lildharry, yesterday’s attack was the first on their
home, but the fifth for him. He said bandits broke into his goods shop once and
into the rum shop below the home, on three occasions.
Friday September 19, 2003
It is regrettable that the government which classifies itself as the world largest democracy would take such actions. However, we must be certain that it was the government that took those actions and not the private owners of the sites. We have to bear in mind that no one would accept criticism such as that which we sent forward because after all, an award was presented to a world class crook/criminal.
D. Singh