Skip to main content

Reply to "IF LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTIONS WERE HELD SOON: THE APNU/AFC WILL LOSE MISERABLY"

“Ramjattan must go” – No 45 residents

Pamela Kendall

Pamela Kendall

Out-of-control crime rate…

– block roads after businesswoman succumbs to bandit’s bullet

Residents of Number 45 Village, Corentyne, Berbice on Friday afternoon staged a bold protest calling for the resignation of Vice President and Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan following an incident which saw a businesswoman from the area being gunned down by bandits.

The residents said they were saddened by the situation and the lack of adequate Police patrols in the area.

As a means of exhibiting the level of their dissatisfaction, the residents used an old tree and several old tyres to block a section of the road, allowing only one lane of traffic.

One protester shouted, “We don’t need no Police, leh we live in war.”

Another concerned and frustrated protester stated that the situation has become overbearing, since very little was being done.

Residents of Number 45 Village, Corentyne, Berbice on Friday afternoon protesting the high crime rate

Residents of Number 45 Village, Corentyne, Berbice on Friday afternoon protesting the high crime rate

According to him, bandits have been causing havoc in their community, with innocent people losing their lives at the hands of these fearless perpetrators.  He questioned why the perpetrators were targeting their community regularly.

The Sookchand family also turned out to protest the senseless killing of their relative Pamela Kendall.

One family member said “this is sad, it is overbearing”, stressing that they were hardworking people who were mostly rice, livestock and cash crop farmers.

Another resident cried out, “Me is a member in this community here and is every night, every night something happening; this na right at all, we fed up”. Every night abay deh in fear hay. We can’t rest in peace.”

The residents are claiming that the armed perpetrators use the backlands as a means of escape in all of the robberies that were committed recently. They are questioning whether or not something would be done as the situation has grown to a point of major concern, putting all the residents in fear.

“We want Ramjattan gone. He is sheer talks….abbi a suffer night and day while he lock up tight in his office….dat can’t right…abbi right not fuh vote for dem…Granger should kick he out from dah position,” another irate resident related.

Others who were present said that they were appalled at the lack of concern shown by the new Government as far as fighting crime was concerned.

“Ramjattan and Seelall send SWAT and SWAT ain’t doing squat to help abbi poor people,” some of the protesters said.

 

Growing public intolerance

Their calls come as public intolerance for crime reaches its highest peak in the year, with many political commentators and politicians calling for Minister Ramjattan’s removal because of his inability to get on top of the situation although he has been in office for well over three months now.

Only on Thursday, the Minister was at the centre of another scandal when he sought to make a nexus between the firing of the Community Support Officers (CSOs) and the hike in the crime rate, insinuating that Amerindians were responsible for the hike, and in the process evoking high drama in the Parliament as the PPP/C sternly objected to the racist and discriminatory sentiments expressed by Ramjattan.

The Minister has also said that his crime-fighting strategy will incorporate the use of “dogs” and “horses” among other measures which have seen him being ridiculed by the public.

 

Police intervene

Meanwhile, Police met with the residents after clearing the road. It was agreed during the meeting that the Community Policing Group (CPG) will come out in full numbers as from Friday evening.

 Police related that they have arrested two persons in connection with the shooting to death of the woman on Thursday evening.

According to the Police in a release, they are conducting investigations into the circumstances surrounding the death of 57-year-old Kendall, who was shot to her head.

Investigations have revealed that Kendall was in the kitchen area of her house, with the door open, when the armed perpetrator entered and shot her during a suspected robbery attempt.

She was taken to the Skeldon Hospital where she succumbed while receiving medical treatment.

Meanwhile, as the investigation continues, Police are to further question the dead woman’s husband, Deoram Soohand. He had provided an initial statement to Police of the incident.

Following the shooting incident on Thursday evening, Soohand said he and his wife had just returned home and he headed straight for the bathroom. He said as his wife was about to close the door a lone gunman entered the house and demanded cash and jewellery. The woman started to scream and immediately ran out of the house as a gunshot went off.

The incident occurred about 18:30h. At the time of the incident, there was a blackout in the community.

Reports are that Kendall ran to her brother’s house situated about 100 metres away but collapsed on the step. She was picked up by her nephews who then realised that she was bleeding. She was rushed to the Skeldon Hospital.

Kendall leaves to mourn a husband and three children.

This is the fourth time the family has been attacked.

There are reports that also on Thursday evening, armed bandits were seen under a house at Number 47 Village, two villages away from where Kendall was shot.

On August 4, eight heavily armed bandits chain sawed their way into the home where Minister Ramjattan was born and raised at Number 48 Village. When Police responded they came under fire and had their vehicle shot at.

FM
×
×
×
×
×
×