'Hold me accountable'

Police said Blair's fingerprints were found on vehicles hijacked by bandits to commit robberies that night.

Another jackass, Winston Felix, Commissioner of Police.

Submachine, 60 rounds of ammo

disappear from police station

Police have placed one of its ranks under close arrest following the disappearance of a Baretta submachine pistol and two matching magazines containing 60 live rounds from the Vigilance Police Station on the East Coast of Demerara.

The weapon reportedly disappeared between Saturday night and Sunday morning.

However, despite several confirmed reports, a senior police officer on the East Coast of Demerara claimed that the weapon was missed a few weeks ago.

Reports reaching this newspaper stated that the rank, a Constable attached to the East Coast Demerara Anti-Crime Unit, claimed that he went to sleep at the Vigilance Police Station barrack room around midnight on Saturday with the weapon and ammunition near him.

When he awoke the following morning, the weapon and the ammunition were nowhere around.

Kaieteur News understands that because the rank is on an emergency unit, he is allowed to sleep with his weapon to facilitate quick response to criminal activity.

For several hours, ranks assisted in searching the entire police station, but the weapon, which is touted as one of the best close combat weapons, was not located.

All the other ranks have accounted for their weapon and ammunition.

This newspaper understands that the ranks at the station, including the station sergeant, came in for a stern reprimand from Police Commissioner Winston Felix after he learnt of the weapon and ammunition's disappearance.

There are reports that the rank and his colleagues were seen earlier on Saturday at a barbecue in the village of Good Hope , some three miles from their base at Vigilance.

One eyewitness told this newspaper that the ranks were drinking.

A full investigation has been launched.

 

Bystander shot during Bourda Market robbery

 

Police are trying to ascertain exactly how a ‘B' Field, Sophia resident ended up being shot yesterday morning after gunmen attacked and robbed two stallholders near the Bourda Market.

Some reports indicate that Jermaine Craig was accidentally shot in the left buttock at around 05:00 hrs after a City Constable opened fire on two armed men who had stolen a quantity of cash from two vendors.

According to reports, Abdool Karim, 46, and his wife, Shakeel, were selling greens at their North Road , Bourda stall when two men with handguns suddenly attacked them.

Both vendors gave the couple an undisclosed sum of cash, and the robbers reportedly fled in the direction of Merriman's Mall.

Police have received reports that a city constable who was on duty discharged several rounds at the men, and that one of the bullets accidentally struck Craig.

A police release said that Craig was unloading a truck when he felt a burning sensation in his left buttock.

He was subsequently taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation for medical attention.

Kaieteur News understands that the city constable denied shooting in Craig's direction.

Police sources said that ballistic tests are to be conducted to try to ascertain who fired the shot.

Tuesday 08-09-2005