The accused arriving at the Georgetown Magistrates Court on Wednesday in the company of police officers
Murdered; Sham Bharat Chunnilall Mannilal
17th January 2020
The Guyana Police Force could come in for some harsh criticisms after the true facts about the robbery/murder of newspaper vendor in Essequibo, Sham Bharat Chunnilall Mannilall began to unravel today Friday. The businessman was killed during a home invasion on Friday night of last week.
The ‘crux of the matter’ BIG Smith News Watch was told, is that the three persons who were initially charged on Wednesday were not the actual killers of the businessman. Those persons were first picked up by police in Essequibo but after ranks from the Police Major Crimes Unit traveled to Essequibo, they released the initial four persons and picked up three young men who they later charged with the crime.
With the new developments, the Director of Public Prosecution could very well be asked to recall the charge against the three persons who were remanded on Wednesday to allow for the police to carry out a more detailed and accurate investigation which could also see a bank employee called in for questioning.
The change in circumstances came to light after a young man who lent another young man his helmet went to the police to report that the helmet was never returned to him. The bandits who invaded the home of the businessman wore helmets to conceal their identities.
The young man who made the report about his helmet not being returned was sent to the detectives who upon checking called the young man to identify a helmet which they had their possession. It turned out that the helmet was the very one which the police retrieved during their initial investigations and which the young man confirmed was the helmet he lent to his friend.
This lead to the police moving to rearrest the persons who were picked up on the night of the crime. It was then that they began confessing to the crime while relating who played what role in the entire ordeal
While the persons who were charged did not carry out the actual act of murder, they nevertheless did play various roles such as planning and acting as lookouts as the robbery was being carried out.
From all indications, one of the men who appeared in court Wednesday was celebrating a nine-day event for his newborn child at his home and it was reported that is was there that the blueprint on how the robbery was going to be executed.
Police sources indicated that the daughter of the deceased at one time dated one of the suspects of the crime but that relationship fell through after her now-dead father became involved and had a physical confrontation with the young man.
During that relation, the young lady reportedly stole money from her father and would give it to the young man at that time, her father was operating a poultry business which was then closed down.
Recently the young man and the lady again began talking and it is reported that she reportedly told him of her father’s plan to restart the poultry business. She also reportedly told the young man that her father secured a loan from the bank which was more than one million dollars for the start-up of the business.
In years gone by, the Guyana Police Force was accused numerous times of charging the wrong persons for crimes committed while the actual players walked free.
In the not too distant past, the Guyana Police Force has been receiving immense help from international and regional partners to increase its capacity in every area of the force. However, more emphasis is usually placed on the Criminal Investigation Department.