Businesswoman gunned down

Deokaran Sanasie and Patricia Sanasie in happier times

…in front of Atlantic Gardens residence

By Vahnu Manikchand

In a dramatic turn of events the wife of a businessman was executed Monday night at her Atlantic Gardens, East Coast Demerara home months after she was accused of paying a “hit man” $6M to take out her husband.

Dead is 45-year-old Patricia Sanasie. She was shot several times in front of her residence. She was the wife of city businessman, Deokaran Sanasie who owns an auto dealership in Alberttown, Georgetown. The shooting occurred sometime around 07:15h. The woman was reportedly shot about four times to her head by a lone gunman. According to information Mrs Sanasie had just arrived home and got out of the car to open the gate when she was confronted by her shooter, who held her in his arms before pumping four bullets in her head. The shooter was described as a “big built man.”         

A neighbour who requested anonymity told this newspaper that shortly before the shooting, silver- Toyota Noah had passed a corner away from the dead woman’s house. The car was heavily tinted and had no number plate. “I saw the car passed and it slowed down by the corner that leads to her house but it didn’t turn then it drove off with a lot of speed and went around the other corner. The lady and her daughter then passed; the daughter was driving and she came out to open the gate. Then I heard the car again; it came around the other corner and stopped in front their car and a man came out,” the neighbour related.

Shot in the air

He recounted that the man fired a shot in the air which caused the woman to jump and turned around. The daughter tried to get out of the car but the shooter grabbed Sanasie, hugged her and shot her four times in her head. The nieghbour said that one of the gunshots hit the woman in her neck. This newspaper was told that just before the shooting, another vehicle, a silver Avensis, had passed by. “It seems as though the Avensis was on the lookout because the Noah passed and it went around the next corner then the woman came in and the Avensis came in behind her but it did not come out back through this corner. Only the Noah with the shooter inside, and a driver perhaps, came out back this street; the other vehicle, the Avensis, might have drove out from the another corner,” he stated.

The neighbour recalled that the police came about five minutes after the shooting but the woman had already lost a lot blood. She was then picked up and placed in a villager’s car and rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital. The woman reportedly died on her way to the medical institution and was pronounced dead on arrival (DOA). The neighbour and other persons on the scene were adamant that from the series of events, the incident does not appear to be a robbery but a successful hit on the woman.

Failed execution

Back in February 2014, Mr Sanasie had accused the woman and her brother of plotting to kill him after attempts were made to kill him. He was shot three times outside of his business place at Light and Fourth streets, Alberttown. He survived the injuries. Mr Sanasie also called “Monkey Ram”, was shot on February 15 last year while outside of his business place. The 58-year-old had said that a man walked up to him and discharged three shots at him; one to his leg and two to his abdomen. Two warheads, which likely came from a revolver of unknown calibre, were recovered from the scene. It was reported that after the businessman was shot, he attempted to run for cover.

Deokaran had claimed that his wife and her brother may have been behind the attempt on his life. He said that the woman reportedly paid someone $6 million to do the job. However, Patricia Sanasie had proclaimed her innocence in the presence of her daughters from her union with Deokaran. “He holding innocent people, I’m his wife I live with him for 29 years, since I was the age of 16, what am I suppose to do, why would you, the media or anybody would want to feel that I am involved in this. When I come live with this man, he had nothing and I worked with him wholly and solely,” the woman had said. Patricia said that she had nothing to do with the shooting and refuted all the allegations her husband levelled against her and her brother. She said she had proof to show her innocence, while rejecting claims that she had stolen from her husband. She clarified that money and property transactions were done with the two of them since they are in business together. The businessman had accused his wife of trying to kill him for US$100,000, which he got from selling a property. He had further alleged that his jewellery and other properties had been disappearing from his home. But, the woman said her husband went out of the country a few months prior to the February incident and did not leave any money, so she sold a generator.

Asked whether she had ever threatened to leave her husband prior to the shooting, the woman replied in the negative. However, her husband had said that she had told him two days prior to the shooting that she wants to separate since they are not happy. The woman had also alleged that her husband constantly abuses her, their children, the maid and even neighbours. “I think he need to go to the doctor and check himself out,” she had stated. Deokaran had alleged that his wife and her brother planned his death about a month before the alleged hit. He alleged that the man returned to the US and sold all of his properties in order to pay off for the hit. The couple was married for some 29-years but separated after the incident last year. Guyana Times was made to understand that Deokaran “Ram” Sanasie had since moved to the United States.