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Rose
Hall back to normal after bandit rampage
The
dead Policemen are Ramphal Pardat, also called Clifton, 52, of Lot 106
Ghanpat Street, Rose Hall Town and Outar Kisson, 46, of Number 52
Village, also on the Corentyne. The
Essequibo resident, Balram Khandai, 18, was an observer at the People's
Progressive Party (PPP) 27th Congress which ended Sunday at Port Mourant.
He was killed when the bandits opened fire on the open back vehicle in
which he was heading back home. Businessman
Mohammed Shamsudeen Afiz, who was robbed during the attack, reopened his
dry goods store for business yesterday. Nodding, he calmly stated all
was well. Residents
of the township yesterday converged at street corners discussing the
events surrounding the attack. Many
supported the statement of the PPP that the attack was politically
motivated. A
resident said he believed the rampage was a threat to the President. "These
attacks were well organised and it was a threat to President Jagdeo, to
awaken him, to let him know how close 'the enemy' was in his
stronghold", he said. "If
the task is too difficult for the Police and the Army, then those in
authority should seek assistance from foreign agencies...Scotland Yard.
These incidents (referring to the slaying of defenceless Policemen) are
occurring too often. "Do
we have to wait until another police die or until the entire force is
extinct? It is urgent, we need international help," the businessman
said. The
Police outpost yesterday remained unoccupied, but bloodstains were still
on the floor, a grim reminder of the attack on the Police. The
trail of bloodstains led from the desk where it is presumed Constable
Pardat was positioned before he met his demise. The trail of blood led
to the outpost gate. An
untouched `egg ball' (cooked cassava stuffed with a boiled egg)
was on a dusty shelf, while a pair of black boots remained under a
previously occupied table. Pardat's
bullet-riddled body was
found on a dam leading to the Atlantic Ocean coast where Police said the
bandits escaped by boat. Constables
Pardatt and Ramesh Chetram were
on the duty at the Rose Hall Police outpost when a gang of six men
attacked them just after midnight, witnesses said. According
to a senior officer attached to the New Amsterdam Police Station, at
around midnight, he and other Policemen had just escorted President
Jagdeo, who had been attending the PPP Congress, to the Albion Estate
senior staff compound when they responded to a call that the Chinese
restaurant a fence away from the Police outpost was being robbed. He
said that as soon as they arrived on the scene, a hail of gunfire from
two directions greeted them. Constable
Kissoon, who
was attached to the Whim Police station, was fatally shot in the head
during the crossfire. He was at the back of a Police patrol vehicle
along with Lance Corporal Williams, who was shot in a leg. The
men then proceeded to the NBIC bank where two security guards were
robbed at gunpoint of two revolvers, 12 rounds of ammunition and a
communications set. Later,
a security guard at the Laparkan store, also at Rose Hall, was shot in
the head and is hospitalised, Police reported. After
these attacks, the gunmen then apparently forced Constable Pardat to
lead them to the koker at the head of the dam in the area that leads to
the Atlantic Ocean. The
town of Rose Hall was transformed into a war zone following the invasion
of the bandits from the Atlantic Ocean after midnight Sunday. Evidence
of damage from the blistering gunfire was visible on signs and `lantern'
posts in the town and the adjoining village of Port Mourant. Residents
there were also awakened by the loud sound of the rapid gunfire. The
owner of a popular business said she saw 12 men walking three abreast
with guns upraised as they fired rapidly in the area. She
said that at first glance she thought it was the Police, but on a closer
look realised that the men were bandits armed with sophisticated
weapons. "For
a moment I thought I was in an eastern country...a war zone...I could
not believe I was in Guyana", she recalled. The
businesswoman wondered how the bandits here could get such high-powered
weapons while the Police had to contend with smaller calibre guns. Many
residents said they were fearful for their lives as the gunshots were
fired rapidly across the town. No
one ventured outdoors, but remained in their homes, wondering what was
happening and who was next. On Monday, an Army helicopter landed in the compound of the Rose Hall Community Centre and there was relief on the faces of the residents who rushed to the scene, hoping someone had brought an answer to their many questions.
But it was reported that the Army group headed by Major Sydney James was there to assist in the investigations.
Sheik
and Hema Hussain who were badly beaten and robbed by bandits at their
home at Lot 72 & B Rose Hall Town, yesterday remained in stable
condition at the Port Mourant Hospital. Although their home was heavily grilled the bandits used a chainsaw to cut their way in from the verandah.
A
chainsaw Police ranks from headquarters in Georgetown have joined their Berbice counterparts in the continuing investigations. Wednesday, July 24, 2002 |
