October 1 ,2021
Dear Editor,
Nathanael Ledra
I strongly believe the poor people in this country called Guyana cannot have something called justice. For the rich and wealthy individuals, their money speaks aloud for them, but for the poor, it is injustice, lack of dignity and formality.
I would like to shed some light on a very notable, intelligent, elegant, productive, aspiring and enthusiastic young man who was a very zealous teacher from BLACK BUSH SECONDARY SCHOOL – SIR NATHANAEL LEDRA. This noble individual died on the 18th July, 2021 due to a reckless and tosspot driver who is the DIRECTOR GENERAL of the MINISTRY of FINANCE – TARACHAND BALGOBIN.
Mr. Tarachand Balgobin went up at the Classis Hotel in Corriverton to celebrate the 75th birthday of his colleague on Sunday, July 18th, 2021. On his way back to Georgetown from Region 5- No. 3 village on the West Coast of Berbice, he pulled down on the inception of a very dangerous left turn at No. 3 village without using his rear mirror. He made a sudden U-Turn on a double line and, at the inception of the turn, struck Sir Nathanael LEDRA on his left side, causing his left foot to break in three places (his leg, knee, and ankle) as well as his right knee.
With the rate at which Mr. Tarachand Balgobin made the U-Turn, it caused the motorcycle to completely submerge under his vehicle, thus cutting his vehicle’s steering rod. Meanwhile, after the accident, Mr. Tarachand Balgobin exited his vehicle and upon seeing two public-spirited citizens, his words were “y’all see, see and carry him to the hospital” and his wife was heard chattering, saying “don’t worry man, that’s nothing, just one phone call and my husband will be out of the police station and lockup”. While taking Nathanael Ledra to the Fort Wellington Hospital, he died one hour later upon arrival.
The funeral expenses from the date Nathanael LEDRA died rose to in excess of three million dollars ($3 000 000). The Director General, –Tarachand Balgobin, his wife and his Pastor, Partick Dollichand, came on the 11th of August, 2021, to New Amsterdam, where he reached out to the family and offered a settlement of five hundred thousand dollars ($500 000). The Honda XR150L motorcycle alone cost five hundred thousand dollars ($500 000). That amount is totally unacceptable and it seems to me as though Tarachand Balgobin’s conscience is numb because no personnel from the Ministry of Finance ever came and offered their sympathy or assistance to the family.
His so-called Pastor, Patrick Dollichand kept issuing a statement saying “we don’t have a case there and there’s no evidence nor are there any eye witnesses.” Mr. Balgobin is culpable of making a U-Turn on a turn and a double line as well as leaving his left carriage lane and ending up on the parapet of the right carriage lane, indicating that he wasn’t wrong in any way. Hence, his vehicle was completely on top of the motorcycle.Mr. Tarachand Balgobin reported to the Fort Wellington Hospital pretending to be unwell and relatives who saw him at the hospital indicated that his spouse was giving him a lot of chocolate and water to consume. Meanwhile, police officers indicated that he did not have any alcohol in his system after conducting a breathalyzer test. However, eye witnesses indicated that when Mr. Balgobin exited his vehicle, he could hardly balance himself and was very intoxicated. Nathaniel
Ledra was the breadwinner for this family. Tarachand Balgobin made the family plunge into a state of shock, agony, and grief. They have suffered a great loss to this day, and he walks a free man in society. When inquired by an officer, he was placed on one hundred thousand dollars ($100 000) bail in Georgetown. If this accident occurred at No.3 Village in the Blairmount district, how is it possible for Tarachand Balgobin to be placed on bail in Georgetown.
