Baby joy!

The five-day old baby girl abducted from her mother Thursday was recovered by Police yesterday and is happily reunited with her mother, Shevonne Greene of North Sophia, Georgetown. The alleged abductor was in Police custody up to late yesterday assisting with investigations.

It was a moment of great rejoicing at the Brickdam Police Station yesterday when the teenage mom Shevonne and relatives from Sophia were handed the cute little bundle of joy.

Thanking God that she had received her child alive, Shevonne could scarcely contain her emotions.

With mixed emotions, as she was leaving the police station, she looked back, and in a frail voice, suggested to the Police a course of action against the woman who had made off with her new born: “Beat she; beat she good then jail she.”

The alleged abductor, a woman of Amerindian descent, was found with the baby at about 11:00 h yesterday, in a house at Supply, East Bank Demerara.

Police, acting on a tip off, swooped down on the house and made the discovery. The woman was arrested and taken to the Brickdam Police Station, along with the baby, and the anxious mother brought in to identify her child. When found, the baby was in a mint green chemise, a pretty yellow, polka dot bonnet, and pampers, and wrapped in a light pink shawl.

Around 14:00 h, after receiving statements from both the mother and the detained woman at the police station, the cops escorted the 13-year old mother and her baby to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation where the infant was examined. As the mother sat down to give her a feed for the first time in more than 24 hours, the obviously hungry tot dived into her mother’s chest and had quite a feast.

Assistance was rendered to the young mother by her cousin, Abina Joseph and a close friend, Felicia, both of Sophia, who had accompanied her to the hospital. Asked what name she was going to give the baby, Shevonne calmly said, “I’ll have to think that one out.”

Meanwhile, the story reportedly given the police by the accused, is that she had taken the baby away because earlier, she was getting a baby and the pregnancy ended in a miscarriage. She claimed that knowing that her husband had desperately wanted a baby, she was afraid to tell him about her miscarriage, so she set out to obtain a newborn child, with the hope of convincing him that the baby was theirs.

The Guyana Chronicle understands that the woman is begging Shevonne and her family to accept a monetary “settlement” and have the matter dropped but the family had no time for that yesterday and whisked their baby away to safety.

Shevonne and relatives have expressed gratitude to the police for their prompt and efficient action, resulting in the recovery of the baby, as well as the media and all the public-spirited citizens who came to her rescue following the abduction. Shevonne said the woman snatched her baby at the Stabroek Market Square around 10:00 h Thursday and fled.

The teen said she gave birth to the baby at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation last Saturday night and had seen the woman before. She recalled that while she was in the hospital, the woman regularly visited the ward. She apparently befriended her and found out where she (Shevonne) was living.

Shevonne said that early Thursday morning, she was at home washing when the woman turned up and offered to take her to town where they could take the baby’s photograph and buy some clothes for her.

However, Shevonne said, since had had a complicated delivery, she had difficulty getting off the mini-bus when they got to the bus park and moving around generally. It was the first time she had left the home since giving birth to her baby, and it was after being coerced by the woman, she said.

Persons on the scene recalled seeing the woman, tightly clutching the baby in a shawl, running with it. Many joined the search and swearing, combed the Stabroek Square and Linden bus park, but found no trace of her. Police were notified and a search launched for the kidnapped baby. (Shirley Thomas/Guyana Cronicle)

Baby kidnapped

A bewildered Shevonne Greene after her baby was kidnapped. (Shirley Thomas photo)

Police were up to late yesterday trying to track down a young Amerindian woman who made off with a teenaged mother’s new-born baby in broad daylight, in the vicinity of the Stabroek Market Square, Georgetown.

At around 10:00 h, an alarm was sounded when the 13-year-old mom, Shevonne Greene, of North Sophia, Georgetown, burst into tears, claiming that a woman had just stolen her five-day-old baby. She said the Amerindian woman, appearing to be in her twenties, was wearing a pair of denim jeans and a brown jersey.

The baby – fair in complexion - had on a flowered orange chemise, pampers and a pair of green booties. She was also wrapped in a white shawl and her head was covered with a bonnet, the mother said. A large crowd quickly gathered as the teen tearfully related her story to enquiring passers-by.

The woman who fled with the baby was hotly pursued by the irate crowd of shoppers and others in the busy downtown shopping area, but according to witnesses, she jumped into a taxi and made off. The teen said she gave birth to the baby at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation last Saturday night and had seen the woman before.

She recalled that while she was in the hospital, the woman regularly visited the ward. She apparently befriended her and found out where she (Shevonne) was living. Shevonne said that early yesterday morning, she was at home washing when the woman turned up and offered to take her to town where they could take the baby’s photograph and buy some clothes for her.

However, Shevonne said, since had had a complicated delivery, she was experiencing difficulty getting off the min-bus when they got to the bus park and moving around generally. It was the first time she had left the home since giving birth to her baby, and it was after being coerced by the woman, she said.

She said she asked the stranger to hold the baby for her while she held on to the bus and disembarked. That was probably the moment the woman was waiting for, and bolted on taking the baby, the mother said. Persons on the scene recalled seeing the woman, tightly clutching the baby in a shawl, running with it.

Many joined the search and swearing, combed the Stabroek Square and Linden bus park, but found no trace of her. Several persons accompanied Shevonne to the Brickdam Police Station where the matter was reported. Police said they were investigating the reported abduction of the unregistered baby girl.

Police said the mother was befriended in the hospital by a woman who claimed to be working for an organisation that assists less fortunate mothers and promised to help her. The suspect, Police said, is of Amerindian descent, fair complexion, medium build, about 25-30 years of age and 5' 4" in height.

Anyone having information that may lead to the arrest of the suspect and the recovery of the baby girl is asked to contact the Police on telephone numbers 225-6411, 225-6941, 227-1149, 227-2128, 227-1270, 226-1389, 226-7065, 226-1326, 225-3650 or 911. All information will be treated with the strictest confidence, Police said. (Shirley Thomas/Guyana Cronicle)

President Bharrat Jagdeo yesterday lauded acting Police Commissioner Henry Greene for doing a “fairly decent job” so far and said at some appropriate time he will look into the matter of whether to confirm him or not to the substantive post.

“I think the acting Commissioner of Police is doing a fairly decent job and at some appropriate time I will look into the matter whether to confirm him or not,” the President told reporters yesterday.

He declined to give a timeframe for this appointment but hinted that it may be soon. Greene has been acting since late July when now retired Police Commissioner Winston Felix proceeded on pre-retirement leave that came to an end on November 1.

The United States has revoked Greene’s diplomatic and multiple U.S. visas and some felt this had put a damper on his imminent appointment. Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr. Roger Luncheon, last month said the government was satisfied with the “creditable performance” of Greene, and hinted that he will be appointed to the post.

Luncheon had told reporters the likelihood of somebody else being appointed Police Commissioner over Greene was “a bit remote” at this point in time. President Jagdeo yesterday also reiterated that he is sticking with his choice of controversial former New York top cop Bernard Kerik for a key role in the anti-crime fight here.

Asked at a news conference at the Office of the President whether he will still be hiring Kerik, the President’s crisp answer was: “Yes, he will be hired”.

The Guyanese Head of State has maintained that security and improved race relations are the priorities of his new term as President and there is need for effective strategies to combat the heightened incidence of crime. Kerik has been in discussions with the Guyana Government and is slated to play an integral part in the planned restructuring and reforms of the Guyana Police Force.

President Jagdeo’s choice of Kerik has, however, been criticised in some quarters based on Kerik’s problematic background of a so-called history of ethical improprieties. President Jagdeo yesterday also said he is “very pleased with the level of joint service cooperation” involving members of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) and the Police Force.

“In the past there had been many instances where, because of a lack of training and no clear operational guidelines, we have had tensions and conflicts between members of the Joint Services since essentially they operate differently, but I am very pleased that this has improved significantly and the joint operations are being conducted in a well-oiled manner and smoothly and the lines of command clear,” the President declared.

He noted that by working together, the Army and the Police have “developed a camaraderie and a unity of purpose that I think is serving us very well today.” “This is something that we will encourage more (in future) - Joint Services operations to tackle issues of law and order in Guyana,” he added.

The President recalled that a significant number of persons were concerned about the security situation in the country at the beginning of 2006 and that concern persists even today, though maybe to a lesser extent given the recent successes in the crime fight.

“I gave the assurances that the security forces would have been ready on Elections Day and the period (leading up) to Elections Day and immediately afterwards to ensure that law and order was maintained and I must say that the security forces vindicated themselves and they did an excellent job,” he told reporters.

“We have had to spend a significant amount of money both on the elections and we have provided a huge supplementary budget to the security forces and I am very pleased to say that, excepting for a few incidents…the security forces have had significant levels of successes against the drug dealers and the criminals who haunt our country,” the President said.

He said the issue that is of concern to him, his government and most Guyanese, is the shocking loss of a number of high-powered weapons from the Army earlier this year. “The loss of those weapons still rests heavily on our psyche and unless and until those weapons are found we will not let up; we will keep the pressure on the Army to ensure that they do whatever it takes to recover those weapons,” the Guyanese Head of State said.

“We have had some limited successes in this regard but we cannot rest until all those weapons have been returned to the military,” he said. Thirteen of the 30 AK-47 rifles which were discovered missing in February have been recovered so far. (Mark Ramotar/Guyana Cronicle)

Neil Bovell shot dead

Dreaded rapist’s reign of terror ends

Neil Bovell, who was a fugitive from justice since starting a reign of terror at Stanleytown, West Bank Demerara, was shot and killed yesterday, during a confrontation with Police at his father’s home in the village.

Villagers, who had lived in fear, for three years and three months, breathed a sigh of relief at the news. Acting on information, Police ranks descended on the house and cornered Bovell about 10:40 h. His father was arrested and remained in custody up to press time.

Bovell was wanted for a series of crimes, including rape, murder and robbery under arms, Police said, after his body was taken to West Demerara Regional Hospital mortuary.Stanleytown folks said they are happy they can now return to the backlands and resume farming without being afraid.

A woman who lives not far from where the criminal was slain said she was most happy because Bovell had raped her relative and what he did to the Bernard family on October 4, 2003, was horrible.

Bovell kidnapped 22-year-old teacher Velda Bernard, murdered her father, Vernon Bernard, 64, then set their house ablaze.

The house where Neil Bovell was killed yesterday by the police.

Most women in the West Bank Demerara area were very fearful of Bovell after his rape of some and he often lurked around the village and snatched unsuspecting females.

Other residents echoed similar views, pleased to be able to walk around the village freely and not in fear of the dangerous criminal who terrorised them.

Bovell, an ex-cop, was implicated in at least two murders, kidnappings and the burning of a house belonging to one of his victims.

He was in the headlines again when identified as the man who abducted and raped a 32-year-old West Coast Demerara woman on August 14, 2003.

Bovell reportedly grabbed the woman at gunpoint in her boyfriend’s house just after the man had left for work, raped and held her hostage for hours before she managed to escape.Previously, the Police issued a wanted bulletin for Bovell in connection with the murder of his reputed wife, Phillipa Harrison, on September 6, 2003. In October 2005, Police offered a $1M reward for information leading to Bovell’s arrest. (Guyana Cronicle)

Defence asks court to review decision on arrest testimony

Roger Khan's defence has asked a New York District Court to reconsider a decision to exclude testimony about his apprehension for his next bail hearing, saying US intervention forced his flight from Guyana and resulted in his arrest in Suriname.

In a letter to US District Court Judge Dora L. Irizarry, Robert Simels argues that despite the claims of the US government, Khan fled after his life was placed in jeopardy when the local police issued a wanted bulletin for him. In Guyana, it was tantamount to dispatching a death squad for Mr Khan's execution," he said in the letter dated December 26.

Khan is currently before a New York Court charged with conspiracy to import cocaine into the US. The US government has described him as the leader of a cocaine trafficking organization based in Georgetown and as one of the primary controllers of cocaine flowing out of Guyana.

The next hearing for bail is scheduled for January 4 and Khan's lawyers have asked the court to direct the government to allow US Embassy No.2 Michael Thomas and DEA Agent Gary Tuggle to testify. In denying an earlier defence request to subpoena Thomas and Tuggle, Judge Irizarry had ruled that the issue of how Khan was transported to the US had no relevance to the question of bail.

However, Simels noted that at the conclusion of the December 6 conference, the US government advised the court that Khan "â€¦was found after there was an arrest warrant for him. Also, he was wanted in Guyana on separate things and went on the lam and was found in Suriname when he was arrested by Surinamese law enforcement." In response, the Court also noted that "the fact that he may have had another arrest somewhere else for drugs, that he may be wanted by yet another jurisdiction may be relevant as well with respect to detentionâ€¦."

As a result, Simels contends that both statements support Khan's claims that the testimony of Thomas and Tuggle is relevant to the issues to be determined. He points out that although the court ruled that their testimony was immaterial, the government's position confirms their relevancy to a hearing to establish the circumstances of Khan's flight from Guyana.

According to him, Khan fled Guyana "not because he was facing charges, but because the United States' disclosure of the Felix tape placed his life in jeopardy. The defence also argued that the charges on which Mr. Khan was arrested in Suriname were a product of United States intervention, not because he was involved or charged with any illegal conduct in Guyana or Suriname."

Simels argued that after Khan met with US officials on March 6 in Georgetown, the Americans turned over a tape of a recorded conversation between then Commissioner of Police Winston Felix and a third party that had been provided to them by Khan. He says after the disclosure of the tape to Felix, the Guyanese police, not surprisingly, issued a wanted bulletin.

On March 29, police issued wanted bulletins for Khan, Paul Rodrigues, Ricardo Rodrigues and Gerald Pereira in connection with investigations into the discovery of guns, ammunition, drugs and other illegal items during a search ten days earlier. The search was part of joint services raids in an attempt to recover the 30 AK 47s that disappeared from Camp Ayanganna. A number of businesses and buildings connected to businessman Khan had been searched.

Simels says the issuance of bulletins in Guyana was the same as dispatching a death squad and he says it was this circumstance that "necessitated" Khan's departure for Suriname. He emphasises that contrary to the US government's representations, there were no criminal charges filed or pending against Khan at the time he left Guyana.

The lawyer also says that after arriving in Suriname, Khan and three others - Paul Rodrigues, Sean Belfield and Lloyd Roberts - were detained for questioning in connection with a narcotics transaction. But he was released after authorities concluded that there was no basis for charges against him. The three others were kept in custody until they were released recently and deported to Guyana.

Consequently, Simels maintains that Thomas and Tuggle are first-hand witnesses to the series of events that led to Khan's departure from Guyana. In this regard, he says their anticipated testimony is directly relevant to the issues to be determined by the Court at the detention hearing, including Khan's propensity as a flight risk and a danger to the community as claimed by the US government.

Khan's lawyers have offered to post bail of US$3M secured by property in addition to an undertaking to foot the costs for electronic monitoring and or the alternative expense of a private security firm to monitor his presence in a relative's home in Long Island if he was admitted to bail. (Stabroek News)

Angamattie Punwa showing the window that the bandits broke to gain entry to the house

The ordeal, which lasted for 20 minutes has left the visiting Shivpersaud Rambalie called 'Rambo' with a chop to his head and he has vowed never to come back to Guyana. He was also beaten with the butt of a gun.

Stabroek News learnt that two persons have been arrested in connection with the robbery. According to reports, just after the robbery took place police called the homes of the suspects, who are reportedly linked to another robbery committed on overseas-based Guyanese at Canefield recently and learnt that they were out.

Rambalie's sister Angamattie Punwa, 51, feels that information was given to the bandits that her brother was staying at the house. She said the robbery seemed well planned. Though she is sad at the losses they suffered, she is grateful that the bandits spared their lives.

Punwa said loud banging and the sound of glass breaking, jerked them out of their sleep. She said she asked her brother what was happening and he responded that he did not know. She decided to leave her room to investigate and came face to face with three masked bandits who were armed with guns and a cutlass.

Dey scramble me and gave me something to smell and then they throw me down and tell me they gon shoot me and ah start to beg them," the woman said. They took $25,000 and US$800 from her.

She said the men then started to kick down the door to the room where her son Mahendra, daughter-in-law Kameeza Mohammed and her two grandchildren were. They ordered everyone out and placed them to lie on the floor. One of the bandits told Mahendra, "You ah de man we want long."

They beat him with the cutlass on his back and other parts of his body and he was forced to hand over $80,000, US$100 and gold jewellery.

Mohammed said she tried to cover her two-year-old daughter from seeing what was going on but the bandits noticed a silver band on the child's hand and promptly took it off.

They then attempted to enter Rambalie's room but when they found that he had secured the door, they proceeded to kick it down and threaten to shoot him. Punwa said she begged them not to kill him.

They managed to get into the room and ransacked it, stealing US$1,800, $20,000 and $350,000 in gold jewellery. They then dragged Rambalie out of the room, pushed him in a corner of the house and dealt him the chop.

Punwa felt that the nightmare would have lasted longer if the neighbours had not telephoned the police. She said a fourth bandit who was keeping guard downstairs called out to the others to run after he noticed the lights of the police patrol vehicle at the head of the street. (Stabroek News/Shabna Ullah)

The mother of five other children, living apart from her at the time their infant sibling was killed on February 23, 2001, will get the necessary treatment for her ailment at New Amsterdam Prison in Berbice, the judge ordered.

The sentence was postponed to await a psychiatric report after psychiatrist Dr. Bhairo Harry had described the convict as a person suffering from an organic brain disorder and not post partem depression as was originally posited by Defence Counsel Hukumchand, when she changed her plea to guilty of the lesser count after being indicted for the capital offence.

But another doctor, who testified after interviewing the prisoner, said a person suffering from organic brain syndrome would not be normal and be inclined to do abnormal things, such as getting rid of her baby.

Before imposing penalty, Justice Cummings-Edwards said she had reviewed the medical evidence as well as the plea in mitigation and the address by State Prosecutor Nadeen Singh. The judge said she had to look into the interest of the accused as well as society and indicated that her order would provide for the prisoner to be given the necessary medical attention while in jail.

Justice Cummings-Edwards said Schroeder would be eligible for parole after serving six years of the term. Prosecutor Singh submitted that Schroeder was in control of her faculties at the time she committed the crime and asked for a sentence that would deter others from such a crime. The Prosecutor said the prisoner was not a first offender, having previously served three years imprisonment for the unlawful killing of a brother.

The second doctor who conducted the interview with Schroeder said she knew what she was doing on the day of the baby killing. However, he opined that she would need life-long medical treatment for the brain damage which could have occurred in her mother’s womb before her birth or later in her life.

Defence Counsel Hukumchand declared that, in his years of practice, he had never come across a case like it and told the judge, from the time he picked up the depositions, he recognised that something was wrong. He asked the court to impose a penalty that would provide for the prisoner to be treated and become a useful member of society.

The case for the Prosecution was that Schroeder reported the child missing to Police but the baby was, subsequently, found beneath disturbed floor boards in an abandoned house, at Gardina Street, Wismar, Linden, with its neck severed. In a confession, admitted in evidence at the trial, the mother claimed she paid a man $500 to kill the infant. (Guyana Cronicle)

‘Skinny’ now charged also with ‘Sash’ Sawh murder

Police have now charged Germaine Charles alias ‘Skinny’ with the last April murders of then Acting Agriculture Minister Satyadeow Sawh, his siblings and a security guard. The 19-year-old accused, of Lot 133 Brutus Street, Agricola, East Bank Demerara and Buxton, is alleged to have killed Sawh, his sisters Rajpat Sawh and Pulmatie Persaud as well as security guard Curtis Robertson, on April 22, at Earl’s Court, La Bonne Intention.

Acting Chief Magistrate Cecil Sullivan, before whom Charles appeared, remanded him to prison and transferred the cases to Sparendaam Court, also on East Coast Demerara, for February 2, 2007. But, before he was taken away from the courtrom, Charles tearfully protested his innocence, claiming that Police were “destabilising” him.

“I didn’t kill Sash. The Police just planting murder on me,” the prisoner shouted. Previously, on August 8, Charles was charged with the murders of five Kaieteur News employees at the Eccles printery, also on East Bank Demerara. Guyana Cronicle)

A 30-year-old New Amsterdam woman who allegedly had 1,206 grammes of cannabis in her possession while disembarking from a Corentyne bus with her baby was yesterday refused bail by Acting Chief Magistrate Cecil Sullivan.

Alice La Fleur, 30, of 24 Alexander Street, New Amsterdam pleaded not guilty to the possession of narcotics for the purpose of trafficking charge at the Georgetown Magistrate's Court.

It is alleged that on December 16 a party of Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) officers were in the Corentyne area conducting raids. While at Number 53 Village they observed La Fleur who was disembarking a bus acting suspiciously.

She had a red handbag in one hand and a baby in the other and a search was carried out on her person and the drugs were reportedly found in the bag. It was wrapped in parcels and amounted to 1,206 grammes of cannabis. She reportedly told the officers that a man named "Flats" had given the parcel to her to drop off at his home.

CANU prosecutor Oswald Massiah asked that bail be refused, saying that the baby was used as a camouflage by the woman. Attorney-at-law Lance Ferreira who represented La Fleur told the court that his client is the mother of a 14-day-old newborn baby. He said she went to Corriverton and a person gave her the parcel to take to his wife and as she was passing to go home she stopped. He added that she was going to seek medical attention for her child as she and her baby were ill.

The circumstances in which she was found and the fact that she is unwell, the attorney argued, are grounds for bail. Massiah responded that was strange that someone would ask a woman carrying a sick baby for such a favour. La Fleur cried throughout her matter at the court. Her case was transferred to the Number 51 Magistrate's Court for January 17. (Stabroek News)

Dead hijacker identified

The hijacker shot dead by Police after a robbery rampage on the West Coast Demerara Friday has been identified as Ellis Hunte, of Lot 302 Eccles New Housing Scheme, East Bank Demerara, a source said yesterday.

The source told the Guyana Chronicle the man was identified after persons in Eccles New Housing Scheme heard screaming and loud wailing from the house at Lot 302 and Police, who were informed, visited and met and spoke to the dead man’s mother. It was surmised that the screaming and wailing began after the family saw a photograph of the dead man in another newspaper and realised it was him.

The hair-raising hijacking and robbery drama in which Hunte shot a taxi driver in the back, began at about 10:30 h Friday, when he first robbed Ganga Persaud Tagedat, owner and driver of a mini-bus, of jewellery valued $400,000, a cell phone and $24,000 cash after hijacking his mini-bus in the vicinity of Ruimzeigt, West Coast Demerara.

In his bid to escape, the bandit shot taxi driver Nazir Samad, 51, of Lot 23 Hague Front, West Coast Demerara, in the back after he refused to comply with a demand to stop and facilitate the bandit’s transport to Vreed-en-Hoop, also on the West Coast.

Samuel Rambajue, 43, who was proceeding to Vreed-en-Hoop in a motor canter was forcibly stopped by the bandit and ordered to take him to Vreed-en-Hoop. However, according to the Police, Tagedat by then had turned around his bus and gave chase using his vehicle to force the canter to stop at Harlem, about four miles west of Vreed-en-Hoop.

The bandit who fled from the canter blocked another taxi forcing the driver to take him to Vreed-en-Hoop but the quick-witted driver brought his vehicle to a halt outside the Police Station at Vreed-en-Hoop and jumped out.

Hunte, in his continued bid to escape, bolted towards the Vreed-en-Hoop Squatting area with cops in hot pursuit and he died in an exchange of gunfire with the Police. Police said an unlicensed .38 Taurus revolver with two live rounds and three spent shells along with the $24,000 and cell phone were recovered. (Guyana Cronicle)

Hijacker shot dead

A man who hijacked a mini-bus and robbed the driver was shot dead by cops in a hair-raising and dramatic escape chase on the West Coast Demerara yesterday morning. Police said the hijacker was unidentified up to late yesterday and a taxi driver he shot in the back after failing to commander his car was last night critical in the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) following emergency surgery.

Nazir Samad, 51, of Hague Front, West Coast Demerara, was shot in the back after he refused to stop when the man tried to hijack his car on the highway at Harlem. GPHC officials said he underwent surgery to remove the bullet from his back.

Police said the drama began at about 10:30 h when the man who was later shot dead boarded a mini-bus owned and driven by Ganga Persaud Tagedat, 39, at the Vreed-en-Hoop park. When the bus was at Ruimzeigt, about five miles west of Vreed-en-Hoop, the man, who was the only passenger, pulled out a handgun and stuck up the driver, Police said.

Police said he took away jewellery valued $400,000, a cell phone and $24,000 in cash from Tagedat and left the bus to intercept a motor canter driven by Samuel Rambajue, 43, heading back to Vreed-en-Hoop. Police said the hijacker ordered Rambajue to drive him to Vreed-en-Hoop and he complied.

But Tagedat turned around his bus and gave chase and at Harlem, about four miles west of Vreed-en-Hoop, used his vehicle to force the canter to stop, Police said. At this stage the bandit fled from the canter, firing shots at the two drivers, but missing, Police said.

According to Police, he then attempted to stop a taxi that was approaching. But the driver Samad refused to stop and was shot in the back. Police said he, however, managed to drive away. The gunman blocked another taxi and forced the driver to take him to Vreed-en-Hoop.

However, the taxi-man drove to the Police Station at Vreed-en-Hoop, stopped the vehicle and jumped out, Police said. The hijacker ran towards the Vreed-en-Hoop Squatting area hotly pursued by cops. Police said there was an exchange of fire and the man was shot dead.

An unlicensed .38 Taurus revolver with two live rounds and three spent shells along with the $24,000 and cell phone were recovered by the police. (Guyana Cronicle)

Two who raped teen jailed for 10 years

Justice Yonette Cummings-Edwards yesterday rejected a plea for monetary penalties and sentenced Sherlock Peters and Rocky Gravesande to 10 years imprisonment, each, for raping a 15-year-old girl on April 22, 2003.

They were convicted last November 21 but the judge had postponed sentencing them to await probation reports and the return of Defence Counsel Mortimer Coddett, who had travelled overseas for medical treatment.

One probation officer found that the community in which the rapists and their victim lived was more willing to condemn the teen and said it signified the depth of the degradation of women in this society. On the basis of that finding, Coddett implored the court not to jail Peters and Gravesande but fine them instead.

The lawyer said, if the two are fined, it would be in keeping with forgiveness as was written in the Bible at John 3 – 16. But Justice Cummings-Edwards said, having taken everything into consideration, including the results of the probes and the plea in mitigation,a non-custodial sentence was out of the question.

The judge said she must inflict punishment that would serve as a deterrent to others who might want to emulate the prisoners. Probation Officer Marva Boyce, who reported on Peters, said her investigations disclosed that, during his teenage years, he was of manageable disposition, obedient and respectful both in his home and the community.

After he was arraigned the first time in this case and while on bail, he went to Barbados where he reportedly worked as a machine operator for one year and returned voluntarily for his trial. Boyce said, according to members of the community, Peters and the girl were friends who resided in Georgetown, for a number of years.

Boyce said, despite her satisfactory performance at school, it seems the girl was without adequate guidance, supervision and the necessary level of maturity and empowerment for successful social relationships with the opposite sex.

Probation Officer Carol Williams, reporting on Gravesande, said the 24-year-old was practically brought up by his father as a single parent and much is not known of his socialisation process, regarding relationships with females.

Williams said it may well be that his mother’s absence from the home, when he was still a boy, impacted negatively on his personality development and, perhaps, was the basis of the act he committed, which is not about sex but more related to power and control of women.

“The fact that the community was more willing to condemn the virtual complainant speaks volumes. It signals the state of our society when it comes to women’s rights. “It is time that clear messages are sent that rape and abuse of women will not be tolerated in any circumstance. Society has certainly failed both the virtual complainant and the accused,” Williams stated. (Guyana Cronicle)

WELL DONE: Best Cop for 2006.

Assistant Superintendent Marlon Chapman, gets a prize from Mrs. Debbie Gouveia of the Roraima group of companies at the Police annual awards ceremony Wednesday. (Guyana Cronicle)

People residing in the vicinity said the Chinese was in the business for about two and a half years and they saw the eating house open at 22:00 h Tuesday.

Police said they responded to a telephone report of unusual noise in the house at about 23:30 h Tuesday and found Ru Fu Hua on the floor of the upper flat of the building with stab wounds to the neck and other parts of the body.

Hua’s brother, Yue Shee Wah, 34, who lives in the city, said he received the bad news and identified the corpse hours after.

Police said the suspect was apprehended when he went to a city hospital for medical attention to chop wounds he could not explain. Investigators are working on the theory that the detainee was wounded during a struggle with Ru Fu Hua.

Acting Police Commissioner Henry Greene said the suspect was also wanted for questioning about the killing of the Sophia clothes vendor, Terrence Anderson, who was gunned down December 7.

Speaking to reporters after the Police annual awards ceremony at Tactical Services Unit (TSU) Square, Eve Leary, Greene recalled that Anderson, 26, of Lot 1090 Cummings Park, Sophia, was fatally shot in the right eye when he opened his door to three masked bandits who robbed the family of jewels and money. (Guyana Cronicle)

Cops seize guns, ammo in raids

17 arrested

Police said they yesterday seized three guns and ammunition and arrested 17 persons in raids on 12 places between Georgetown and Timehri on the East Bank Demerara.

The 17 were arrested for fraud, simple larceny, robbery, illegal possession of guns and ammunition and other offences, Police said in a press release.

a 9 mm pistol and two magazines with 30 rounds; a 357 Magnum revolver with five rounds; a .32 Taurus revolver with six rounds; 10 rounds .32 ammunition.

Police said they also seized 25 bags of rice suspected to be stolen or illegally obtained. (Guyana Cronicle)

Man helps locked out woman then rapes her

Court told

A man helped a locked out woman get into her house and then raped her, a city court heard yesterday. As a result, Charles Eman, accused of the sexual attack, was charged indictably with having carnal knowledge of the victim when he appeared before Acting Chief Magistrate Cecil Sullivan.

Police said the offence was committed on the 41-year-old woman when she returned home December 3, after accompanying a friend to a city bus park. She had left the padlock on her door unlocked but, on her return, found it had been locked.

She asked Eman, who was standing around the premises, to help her break into the place and he did so but followed her inside and sexually assaulted her, Police claimed. The other man, with whom she shares the flat, was intoxicated and asleep and she could not be rescued by anyone else, Police said.

Eman (no address given) was refused bail and will be a remanded prisoner until December 21, when he makes his next appearance in another court, to which the case has been transferred. (Guyana Cronicle)

President Bharrat Jagdeo decorates 2nd Lt Budeshwar Presaud with his badge of rank. He received five special awards, including that of Best Student in completing the Standard Officers Course.

“Chief of Staff, I want those weapons recovered,” President Jagdeo, Commander-in-Chief of the Disciplined Forces, told Brigadier General Edward Collins, referring to the 30 AK-47 rifles which were discovered stolen from Army headquarters, Camp Ayanganna, in February this year.

He was speaking at the same Camp Ayanganna in Georgetown where he commissioned 18 members of the GDF, three officers of the Guyana Police Force, one officer of the Guyana Fire Service, one officer of the Guyana Prison Service and four members of the Belize Armed Forces as second lieutenants.

The course, Standard Officers Course # 39, commenced with 34 officers, but seven discontinued for various reasons. One of them, cadet officer Amar Rajkumar, was murdered, Brigadier General Collins had said after a post mortem examination was conducted. Rajkumar died on April 11. It was found that he died from a blow to the back of his head and investigations have not yet been completed.

President Jagdeo said the truth regarding his death needs to be told through an impartial process, in honour of the slain officer and his family. The President lashed out at officers who continue to stain the image of the GDF and the Disciplined Forces, stating that their behaviour has been inconsistent with the statutes of “honour and dignity” which should guide their profession.

He said whether in or out of uniform, the public should see them as upright and they must be respectful and dignified in conduct. The President commended the military for its cooperation with the other Disciplined Forces, particularly the Police, in the fight against crime. He said the Joint Services operations will continue as long as his government sees these necessary.

Mr. Jagdeo noted that recent successes have won praise from the public, but he said the fight must be continued to eradicate the threats of narco-trafficking and criminal gangs. A great deal, he said, remains to be done in removing criminal gangs and dismantling their “infrastructure”, adding that this needs to be accomplished if the security of the state is to be guaranteed.

`UNCOVER CRIMINAL HIDEOUTS’

Mr. Collins, in a message to the newly commissioned ranks, said the Joint Services have to be on watch and ready, “as we know the criminals have more plans.” “We must uncover criminal hideouts,” he said, and told the young officers they will be sent out, warning that they would face grave danger “in order to establish peace that allows thousands around this country to live in liberty and to grow to prosperity.”

Mr. Jagdeo said the Joint Services face the challenge of providing for the security of next year’s Cricket World Cup in Guyana and their role would be of providing a “safe and secure climate.” He said the government would continue to provide resources to the GDF so that it can meet the challenges of protecting the nation’s territorial integrity and internal security as well.

In the special awards given out to students of the course, 2nd Lt. Budeshwar Persaud, 19, was adjudged Best Student and received four other awards. He received the Sword of Honour, the award for best military knowledge and the Brazilian and Venezuelan Armed Forces prizes.

Persaud said the course was both physically and mentally challenging, yet it was one of the most rewarding endeavours he had ever undertaken. “It has taught me a lot about being a good leader, a team player and to make the best of every opportunity presented to me,” he stated.

The GDF began training its own officer cadets in 1969 and this made way for the establishment of the first Officer Cadet School in the English-speaking Caribbean. It became known as the Colonel Ulric Pilgrim Officer Cadet School. (Neil Marks/Guyana Cronicle/Winston Oudkerk photo)

Two held in 'Rambo' killing

The children of Lakeram McKenzie -- Angeleena and her brother Nicolas yesterday.

He was shot and killed at about 19:00 h when six armed men, four of them masked, attacked the family at home, Police said.

McKenzie was taken out of the house and shot after the gang forced the family to hand over cash and jewellery and died at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC). Police said, at the scene, they found eight 7.62x39 spent shells, one live 7.62x39 round and one magazine for a Beretta. The back windscreen of the man’s car in the yard was smashed.

Police yesterday continued checks at the house in their probe with armed ranks standing by. The wife and children of the slain businessman abandoned the house after the slaying and are staying with relatives. Those surviving the half hour attack were his daughter, Angeleena, 11, son Nicolas, eight, and wife Chandroutie McKenzie, also known as Seeta.

The children said the gang entered their home from the nearby sea wall about 18:30 h, ordered them and their father to lie face down on the floor and demanded cash and jewellery. They said their mother was in the bathroom when the men struck and after hearing their demands, she came out and was also ordered to lie face down.

When the bandits invaded the house they began shouting when they saw their father: “You is the Rambo! You is the Rambo!”, the daughter said. Residents said the gang were all young persons and one of them appeared to be about 14 years old. One of the men, they said, kept guard at the back of the yard and another was at the front while four went into the building.

The children said that before dragging their father downstairs, the men had threatened to kill them if they did not get the cash and valuables they demanded.

After McKenzie was taken outside, eight shots rang out and his wife went to look for him but could not locate him and began screaming for help thinking he had been kidnapped.

However, a relative who rushed over showed her where her husband lay bleeding profusely and he was rushed to the GPHC where he died later that night. (Guyana Cronicle)

Roger Khan deemed flight risk

Denied bail

In another appearance before Justice Dora Lizzette Irririzary, at the U.S. Eastern District Court on Tillary Street in downtown Brooklyn, at the end of a 45-day adjournment requested by the prosecution, reports out of New York said the defence fought an uphill battle to secure bail for Khan, as well as an adjournment on the detention hearing.

The judge was prepared to proceed with the detention hearing. In the end she remained steadfast in denying bail, deeming Khan a flight risk, and reluctantly postponed the detention hearing to January 4, 2007 at 10:00 h.

According to the reports, Judge Irririzary was all prepared to proceed to hear arguments in relation to the alleged illegal detention of Khan as set out by his attorneys, but they were not and continuously requested to have Gary Tuggle, a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agent of the U.S. and others as witnesses during the hearing. But according to the judge, she did not see their presence as relevant saying what was important was that Khan who had absconded from trial in the U.S. for some 12 years is there in person.

The defence, however, continued to make reference to Khan’s ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) detention and through Simmels suggested to the judge that the hearing should have been conducted by a magistrate and not her. Judge Irririzary countered by responding “I represent the government and I will handle all the matters.”

At one point too, an evidently annoyed Judge Irririzary remarked to the defence “you want a mini trial…you are going on a fishing expedition…I am ready to proceed today on the detention hearing.” Simmels later told reporters it seems as if the judge is endorsing the government rather than being concerned about the case.

He contended too, that the only evidence which the prosecution has to date against Khan is what refers to him as a “drug dealer” and that the prosecution which earlier said it has evidence against him from Guyana, claims it is seeking to garner more at that end as well as from Suriname.

On denying the defence request for bail, the judge in deeming Khan a flight risk, pointed out that he had absconded from trial in Vermont, Maryland and was wanted in Guyana when he escaped to Suriname where he was captured.

In addition, she said, he is not a U.S. citizen, the close ties he has there are all scattered in the U.S. and his family has the means (finances) to assist him to take flight. “Who is to question that he is not a flight risk?” she queried.

Khan’s brother Rafeek, according to the defence, is the elder of the family and would have ensured that his brother remain in the U.S., but he was not in court yesterday because he was attending to pressing matters, the lawyers said.

But Judge Irririzary asked what pressing matters could have been more than that related to his brother. Khan, who has started to grow his trademark beard, was reportedly quite relaxed during his appearance, dressed in his orange prison jumpsuit. Khan is on remand on an indictment by a New York Grand Jury in May this year for conspiracy to import cocaine to the U.S.

The warrant, which carried the Case Number 06CR 255, “commanded” the United States Marshall and/or any authorised United States Officer, “to arrest Shaheed Khan, also known as `Roger Khan' and `Short Man’ and bring him forthwith to the nearest magistrate to answer an indictment charging him with conspiring to import cocaine into the United States.”

The warrant, signed by Justice Roanne Mann on April 13, 2006, stated that the alleged offence was in violation of Title 21, U.S. Case section 963. Khan was nabbed in Trinidad and whisked to the U.S. after being expelled from neighbouring Suriname on June 29 last where authorities there had arrested him and 11 others, including three other Guyanese - Paul Rodrigues, Sean Belfield and Lloyd Robert – said to be his bodyguards.

The arrest was made during an alleged huge drug bust on June 15, 2006 in Paramaribo, Suriname, when Police in the former Dutch colony said they netted 213 kilos of cocaine. Khan was deported without being charged and his deportation facilitated his subsequent apprehension by U.S. law enforcement officials in Trinidad which took place as soon as he left the Suriname Airways flight.

Recently, in Trinidad and Tobago, Khan's lawyers were successful in securing the ruling by a High Court Judge to permit a judicial review of the proceedings that had resulted in their client's removal, against his will, from that country to the U.S.

The ruling allowed Khan to "challenge and impugn" the decisions of two officials of the Trinidad and Tobago government, namely immigration officer Stephen Sookram, and lawyer David West of the Attorney General's office, who were identified by his lawyers as having been involved in the controversial arrangements to have him flown to the U.S.

And, in a surprising intervention, the Director of Public Prosecutions, Geoffrey Henderson, last week sought to have the charges brought against Sookram and Best withdrawn. Khan's lawyers are reportedly in the process of applying to the Trinidad and Tobago High Court for a review of the DPP's action to determine whether his "discretion" in the matter involving their client, was "properly exercised".

Meanwhile, after serving just more than five months under harsh conditions in separate jails in Suriname, without being charged, Belfield, Roberts and Rodrigues, were deported from Suriname on November 22 last. They, unlike their boss, were brought across the border Corentyne River and whisked overland under heavy guard to Police headquarters where they remained in custody before being charged for illegal departure and taken to court on November 27, last.

This occurred after Justice B.S. Roy acting on an application for a writ of habeas corpus filed by attorney Glenn Hanoman on behalf of the three men had ordered the Guyana Police to immediately release them. On a subsequent court appearance on December 1, the three pleaded guilty to leaving Guyana illegally and were each fined $20,000. (Guyana Cronicle)

Mother confessed to paying baby killer $500

The woman accused of infanticide at the Demerara Assizes told Police she paid a man $500 to kill her baby. The revelation was contained in an alleged confession admitted in evidence yesterday after Justice Yonette Cummings-Edwards ruled it was made freely and voluntarily by Vanessa Schroeder, who is indicted for killing her 16 days old child, Iana, on February 23, 2001.

Defence Counsel Hukumchand had challenged the admissibility of the statement but the judge accepted it after conducting a voir dire (trial within a trial) on the issue and hearing arguments, in the absence of the jury, also from State Prosecutor Nadeen Singh.

Following the judge’s ruling, Detective Inspector Charles Alleyne was recalled to continue his evidence-in-chief. He said he received a report about a missing baby and went to Gardina Street, Wismar, Linden, in company with Detective Inspector Sampson.

The witness said, about 60 yards away, not far from the yard in which Schroeder lived, he saw an old building resting on the ground. Inside, he observed that boards were missing from the floor and checked the area but found nothing to assist him in the investigations.

He returned to the yard where the woman was living and spoke with several persons and caused statements to be taken. Alleyne said, later the same day, at Wismar Police Station, he told the woman the missing child was found dead with a wound to the neck and he suspected she had murdered it.

The witness said Schroeder informed him she had reported the infant missing after leaving it on a bed in their home and returning to find it not there and its father and her sisters denied any knowledge of the whereabouts.

Alleyne said it was subsequently, when in company with Detective Inspector Sampson and Woman Sergeant Fingall, that he told the mother it had been alleged that she murdered her baby on February 23, at Gardina Street, Wismar.

The witness said he cautioned the woman, telling her of her rights, including that of remaining silent and she declared she would tell him the truth. Alleyne said the narrative, which was recorded after, stated that, since Schroeder made it, the baby’s father did not support either of them and she planned to kill the infant.

She went on: “I left home and I went to the old house where I met Elbert. I told Elbert to kill the child for me and I gon give he $500. I left the baby with Elbert and I went back home. “Shortly after, I saw Elbert passing. He told me he had done the work and I gave him $500.”

Alleyne was still being cross-examined by Hukumchand when the adjournment was taken to today. During the cross-examination, the witness admitted that certain aspects of his testimony, relating to dates and times, were inaccurate. He acknowledged that he had made mistakes. (Guyana Cronicle)

Rejected cop kills lover, commits suicide

Latchmini Thombarin

A young cop, enraged because his lover rejected him, uplifted his service revolver from his outpost, forced his way into her mother’s house in Corentyne, Berbice, where he confronted and shot her dead before shooting himself in the head Saturday night.

Dead are Police Constable Kumbarran Singh, 25, and Latchmini Thombarin, 31, of Lot 279 Hampshire Squatting Area, Corentyne. Relatives of the married mother of three said she had told a friend of her former lover she wanted to end the relationship.

Her sister Babita Bissoon said a friend of the cop had visited their home Saturday telling Latchmini that Singh wanted to see her. But her response was that she did not want to see him any more and he should live his life and let her live hers, the sister said yesterday.

Bissoon said that shortly after, she saw the Policeman, who was stationed at the Rose Hall Police outpost a mile away, nearing the house on a bicycle. She said as she alerted her sister, he scaled the four-foot high fence around the yard and chased after Latchmini up the front stairway of the house. Bissoon said she tried to pursue him but became afraid after the cop placed the revolver he had to her chest.

After overcoming the shock seconds later, she said she continued up the stairs to the house, but Singh was inside jamming the front door to prevent her entering. She said she, however, managed to push the door open enough to see her sister holding on to the barrel of the gun before it went off twice.

“I ran outside and went to my home next door. But before I could have called the police another two shots rang out”, she related, sobbing. Bissoon said she rushed back to the house and in the living room saw her sibling lying in a pool of blood with wounds to her temple and stomach, while Singh had a shot wound on his head.

Police said the two were pronounced dead on arrival at the Port Mourant Hospital. Marie Thombarin, mother of the slain woman, told the Guyana Chronicle she had begged the cop not to hurt her daughter but her pleas fell on deaf ears.

Latchmini leaves to mourn her husband Andrew Verasammy, and three children, Keisha, 11, Ricardo, 9, and Angelina, 5. The older children and their father reside in the United States and are expected in the country later this week, relatives said. )Jeune Bailey Van-Keric/Guyana Cronicle)

FBI investigating terrorist threat against airlines

The United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Transportation Safety Authority are investigating a terrorist threat against American Airlines, North American Airlines and BWIA, a spokesman at the United States embassy here said yesterday. Embassy spokesperson Niles Cole told the Sunday Chronicle further details cannot be provided “because this is an ongoing investigation”.

“The U.S. government takes threats against American citizens seriously at all times regardless whether or not the threat turns out to be valid or credible”, he said. “As a result”, said Mr. Cole, “the FBI and the Transportation Safety Authority are investigating.”

The Guyana government said it received the threat Friday and is “taking the issue seriously” although it suspects it is a prank. The government said it has mobilised the Joint Services and was in discussion with airline operators here and “bilateral partners in the international security arena.” The threat came from an email sent Friday to the U.S. embassy, newspapers and airlines here.

The email said that starting Friday some American Airlines, North American Airlines and BWIA flights transporting American citizens from the U.S. to Britain, the Caribbean and African destinations and returning flights will be under serious chemical attack from an “independent militant group.”

New York-based North American Airlines and Trinidad-based BWIA have regular scheduled flights between Guyana and U.S. airports. The email was sent by M. Atayuv from atayuv@yahoo.com.

The threat up to late yesterday had not affected any flights from the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Timehri to the U.S., an official at the airport said.

Culture, Youth and Sports Minister, Dr. Frank Anthony, announced Friday that a reputable private security firm with experience in anti-terrorism methods has been contracted to train some 300 local personnel to provide security during the Guyana leg of the Cricket World Cup 2007 tournament. Security, he stressed at a news briefing, is being treated with utmost priority as it is one aspect of concern to everyone.

Anthony said the firm has been engaged under a special contract to train members of the Guyana Police Force and personnel of private security firms. There is also an arrangement in place, he said, for sharing intelligence among the security forces of the various territories which will be coordinated by a centre in Trinidad.

With just 99 days to go before Cricket World Cup 2007, the minister assured that preparations in Guyana are on track and all outstanding work is being assiduously addressed to ensure the country is ready for the world’s third largest sporting event.

At a press briefing at the Guyana National Stadium at Providence, East Bank Demerara, which attracted visiting journalists from North America and the Caribbean, he said work on the stadium is 99% complete and the outfield and pitch are ready. (Guyana Cronicle)

A businessman of Line Path, Skeldon was shot in his shoulder by bandits around 9:15 pm on Friday and robbed of an undisclosed amount of cash and jewellery. Shameer Wahab, the owner of a grocery store and rum shop said he had started to close up the shop when he heard the gate shaking. He said when he looked back he saw a bandit, armed with a gun, jumping over the gate.

Seconds later two others appeared and they too jumped in. Wahab said two of the men pointed a gun at him and demanded money. He handed over the day's earning which he had in his pocket. Another bandit, he said, took his wife, Shafeena, 44, to the back of the building and held a gun to her head while demanding that she hand over the four antique gold bangles that she was wearing at the time.

The men then fired two shots in the air as they made good their escape on foot. Neighbours saw them running through the back street. Wahab said everything happened so fast that he was in a state of shock after the men left. He did not realize he was shot until his wife saw blood on his shoulder. She called the Skeldon Hospital for an ambulance but was told that no driver was available. They then hired a taxi and Wahab was rushed to the hospital where nurses dressed the wound.

He then left and made a report at the Springlands Police Station and a rank escorted him to the New Amsterdam Hospital. He said an x-ray showed that the bullet had exited his shoulder. According to Wahab, two of his children were in the upper flat of the building, while his son was on the road so they were not aware of what was transpiring. A police source told this newspaper that four men robbed the couple, two of whom were masked.

Meanwhile, Nickey Rajaram, 24, of J & N Supermarket, located at Tucber Park, New Amsterdam was robbed by armed bandits at around 7 pm on Friday of $10,000 cash. Rajaram told this newspaper that he was sitting at the cashier's booth when two men came in and purchased $100 worth of sweets. About 10 minutes later, he said the two men returned with a third person who was armed with a gun and they stuck him up.

All they took away was $10,000 that was in the cash register. Stabroek News learnt that this is not the first time that the supermarket was robbed by bandits. There have been similar attacks in the past where bandit carted off large amounts of cash. (Shabna Ullah/Stabroek News)

Deported Roger Khan ‘bodyguards’ fined for illegal departure

The three alleged bodyguards of United States accused drug trafficker Roger Khan were each fined $20,000 yesterday when they changed their pleas and admitted departing Guyana illegally.

Paul Rodrigues, 31, of Lot 14 ‘B’ Shell Road, Kitty, Sean Belfield, 27, of Lot 23 Queen Street, Kitty and Lloyd Roberts, 25, of Lot 3536 North Ruimveldt, all Georgetown addresses, pleaded guilty to leaving this country from a port not authorised for that immigration purpose.

However, Defence Counsel Glen Hanoman said Roberts, who, like Rodrigues and Belfield, was deported here from Suriname last week, is suffering from chicken pox. On November 27, when the trio first appeared in the same court, they had pleaded not guilty and were individually put on $35,000 bail. After the men changed their stance yesterday, Hanoman asked that the minimum fine be imposed on them.

The lawyer said all three men had served the Guyana Police Force (GPF) with distinction for a number of years and, only a while back, Rodrigues won the ‘Best Cop’ award. Hanoman contended that they had already been punished for the offence and, after recently being dismissed from the GPF, spent three days in prison since their deportation. He said he did not include the punishment they suffered in Suriname jails.

But Hanoman claimed the three men were afraid for their lives and that caused them to depart Guyana in such a manner, across the Corentyne River, between June 15 and 16. Defence Counsel, pointing out that the Surinamese authorities did not even charge them for illegal entry, appealed to Mr. Sullivan to take into consideration the spirit of the season which the deportees would want to enjoy with their relatives.

Police Inspector Lloyd Thomas, prosecuting, said, under the law, persons pleading guilty to such offences are usually made to pay individual fines not exceeding $40,000 or imprisoned for not more than 12 months. The Prosecutor said Rodrigues, Belfield and Roberts were charged in Guyana and the court ought not to compare how Suriname dealt with them.

The three were arrested in that neighbouring republic during an arms and drugs bust and, since then, Khan was flown to the U.S. where he remains incarcerated, pending trial on drug trafficking charges. (Guyana Cronicle)

A Sheriff taxi driver was shot in his back by a passenger attempting to hijack the car he was driving early yesterday morning and is now a patient of the High Dependency Unit of the Georgetown Hospital after undergoing emergency surgery. Injured is 29-year-old Trenille Inverary of Campbellville.

Reports reaching Stabroek News are that around 3 am two men hired a car from the Sheriff Taxi Service to take them to Tucville. When the car reached the destination, one of the men came out and the other pulled out a gun.

The man pointed the gun at the driver and instructed him to get out of the vehicle. Inverary instead attempted to drive away and was shot in the back. The vehicle ran off the road and ended up in a nearby trench. The men tried to get the car out of the drain but it was stuck in mud.

They later abandoned their efforts. Inverary was rushed to the Georgetown Hospital in a conscious state. He underwent two hours of emergency surgery to remove the bullet that was lodged in his back. His condition is listed as serious. His car is at the East La Penitence police station where ranks are expected to dust it for fingerprints. Police are continuing into the shooting.

The wounded man's brother Mennon Inverary told Stabroek News last evening that Trenille works out of the taxi service's Cummings Street base. He stated that his brother has been a taxi driver for about one year now and nothing like this has ever happened before. According to Mennon it was the dispatcher who called and informed them of the shooting.

Mennon told this newspaper that his brother managed to tell him that he was going to Tucville with a man to pick up his girlfriend. He said that when his brother reached the destination the passenger said "ay want de money and de car". Mennon said that when his brother looked farther up the road he saw several men and sensed that something wasn't right.

"He start drive and the man in the back seat shot him in the back and he ended up in a ditch". He added that the doctors managed to get the bullet out during the surgery and he said that the doctor doesn't want him to speak due to the injury he received. For the surgery he said, Trenille got two pints of blood.

He said that at the time of the incident his brother was driving a white 212 Carina motorcar and it sustained little damage. (Zoisa Fraser/Stabroek News)