By Zoisa Fraser
A 35-year-old scrap metal dealer was fatally shot yesterday afternoon on Brickdam by one of two bandits who had seconds before snatched a bag containing some $2 million from his wife.
Akbar Alli
Dead is Akbar Alli, a member of the Guyana Islamic Trust and resident of Logwood, Enmore, East Coast Demerara. He sustained a single gunshot wound to the chest just after 1 pm yesterday and died at the Georgetown Public Hospital some 15 minutes later while undergoing treatment. Hospital sources told this newspaper that when the man arrived at the institution he was gasping for air.
Stabroek News was told that Alli would travel to Georgetown almost on a daily basis to withdraw money from a city bank to pay his workers and to buy scrap metal. From all appearances, the two bandits trailed him on a motorcycle and when the car stopped, they pounced.
According to the police, their investigations have so far revealed that Alli and his wife went to a city bank where they transacted some business. They then went to another city bank and then proceeded to Brickdam with the intention of transacting business with an auto dealer.
Alli, according to the police, parked his motor vehicle and he and his wife, who was holding a bag containing $2.1 million were about to exit the vehicle when two men rode up on a motorcycle. The pillion rider, who was armed with a handgun, held them up and took away the bag and the men the rode away.
Alli began running behind the motorcycle and the armed man then shot him in his chest.
Investigations are continuing and up to press time last evening, no one had been held.
A man who was in the area when the robbery/murder occurred said he heard the gunshot and when he looked he saw a man on his knees at the side of the car and two unmasked men, both dressed in white t-shirts, riding away on a motorcycle.
He said they were speeding so it was hard to see any faces from where he was standing. The witness told this newspaper that one of the men had a small bag with two straps in his hand.
Others in the immediate area of the shooting said that they too heard a single gunshot but by the time they ventured out to see what had happened, the injured man had already been whisked away to the hospital and there was nothing to indicate that something had indeed occurred.
A man working a short distance away said when he arrived at the scene a crowd had gathered and he was informed that a man was shot during a robbery. He said he had heard what sounded liked a gunshot.
The man, like many others in that area, was shocked to hear that the man had died at the hospital.
Meanwhile at the hospital, loud wails erupted from the treatment room at the Accident and Emergency (A&E) Unit as the man’s relatives got news of his passing.
Relatives and workers flocked the area with saddened expressions on their faces. Some had tears welling in their eyes. Many of those this newspaper spoke with said that they were unaware of what actually transpired as they were informed via telephone about the tragedy.
One relative said that it was Alli’s wife who called and informed him of the shooting. He said that from what he was told it was the wife that drove the injured man to the hospital.
Over at the East Coast community, villagers were in shock. At his home, which was surrounded by piles of scrap iron, workers were busily carrying out their regular duties.
One worker told Stabroek News, “he [Alli] was a really, really nice person. If ya sick he there fuh you, if ya need money he there for you. He was a gentle and kind man…liked by all in the community.” This newspaper was told that Alli, who had been in the scrap metal business for some four years, had built a masjid for members of his community opposite his home.
The businessman provided work for some 30 to 40 persons on a daily basis.
His brother Zaman was in shock. The man said that as he was preparing to leave his home after hearing of the shooting, he got another call informing him that his brother was dead.
Alli leaves behind two young children, his wife Rameena and eight siblings.
once again we hear such terrible violence in our beloved country when will it all stop!!!!!!!!!! my sympathy goes to the family
redindian
I join you wholeheartedly with my sympathies to this bereaving family. May God be with this family in this their hour of bereavement.
I am yet again forced to make this observation; where there is life there is hope! Being a businessman myself I do understand the sacrifices and hard work that one has to extend to make one’s business successful. However when a bandit has the drop on you it is senseless to resist! Today Akbar could have been 2 million dollars poorer; instead he is TWO MILLION DOLLARS POORER AND DEAD!
There is no doubt in my mind, that being a successful businessman in Guyana requires a great deal of ingeniousness. If the criminal element continues to drop these folks like flies, they are eliminating the cream of the crop.
In a very short time there will no no more geese to lay a golden egg.
My sympathies to this young man and his grieving relatives.
Joe.
good observation,congratulation.
My condolonces to the family of another victim of violence.Here was a hard working man trying to provide for his family and community murdered in broad daylight by a pair of savages.Sometimes its difficult to find sympathy for the demise the lowlives and parasites of society when the is harsh with them.RIP
brother.
My condolences to the family, these incidents cuts deep into the psyche of society, after working hard to make a comfortable living both your life and earnings can be taken away so easily. Can you be successful and live in safety and in peace anymore in Guyana?
it like the days of the west,if the police cant do the job.or reaction too slow.
then i am should be allowed to protect myself.
dont call it ,”non judicial killing”.
is the killing of this man judicial?
crime went up all the way to the seat of govt,killing of Minister Sawh.
and we still pretend.
NO NO NO! Again, soon Guyana is going to be populated with just criminal elements, no wonder alot of business people are running. I heard the news recently that older folks are complaining that there is not enough jobs in Guyana, thats y people are forced to thief, but its these criminal that are forcing persons that can provide jobs out of Guyana.
Sad,sad will we ever have our Guyana again….Society needs to describe these
BEASTS that are doing these crimes. Hard working man drop dead,they say everything is drugs related what is this??? All working and businessmen should
protest the government for first classs security .Come together as one and stamp out these animals that does this , its time for action the Government proves that they cannnot control crime ! Lets have a better,stable and protected Guyana. How many more lifes will we sacrifice to start do something??
i agree when can we go home and leave these westernised countries as they will always treat us as second class citizens.we want to be among our own people not in a foreign country and live in peace with our own
It appears that there are rogue tellers working at some banks that tip off these bandits when individuals withdraw large sums. Banks should ban the use cellphones by tellers when they are on duty.
You made a great point.
My condolences to the family.
It is indeed sad and ridiculous that incidents like this continue to happen on an almost weekly basis. If this continues people will stop establishing businesses thereby creating employment and stability for our nation.
From my observation one of the tools used by the bandits is fake/obscure licence plates. The authorities need to immediately have license plates designed and made to prevent this from happening. The license plates must be made to be easily read from a reasonable distance in any light. The cost sadly will have to be borne by vehicle owners but in my opinion it would be worth it for the bit of security it will help provide.
The Law Enforcement machinery also need to regain/earn the public trust so that people can feel safe “saying something when they see something!”
My sincerest condolences to the family.
I honestly recommend that businessmen stop walking around with so much money. Use a manager’s check when conducting business that involves large amounts of cash. My suggestion that businesses should get involved quickly with computerising their businesses such that customers can use ebanking services
Good ideas. How am I to pay my workers with managers cheques. And ebanking, the banks will apply the usual prohibitive charges and with all the power failure.
I agree….
good comment, guyana has internet they could pay employees by the bacs or chaps system and try and use plastic so as to not to walk with so much cash !!!!!!!
And they wonder why people are running away from Guyana. Just imagine, this man was shot on Brickdam. The same neighborhood as the Police Station. Goes to show, the criminals have no fear of the police anymore.
A lot of the criminals stake out banks and get a little knowledge about what’s going on. Why can’t the police do the same and start sending undercover officers to withdraw money and set the bait? Also, bank employees need to be monitored. What’s stopping an employee of the bank from texting his/her partners outside, tipping them off about a businessman leaving the bank? The police should start their investigation by checking the phone records of the bank, and all cellphone records for calls or text messages sent a short time before the attack. The Guyana police need to stop sitting on their brains and start thinking.
My suggestion: banks in Guyana should start offering a security service which delivers large sums of money directly to a businessman’s home or office. Maybe they can use unmarked cars with well armed, plain clothes guards. Plus, the banks can charge a small amount of money for this service.