A person or persons unknown stole a boat with a 40-horsepower Yamaha outboard engine valued $650,000 belonging to the Regional Democratic Council, Region Five on Friday night at Wash Clothes, Mahaicony Creek and only the boat was recovered yesterday morning.

Stabroek News learnt that the 25-ft long fibreglass boat was discovered missing at around 10.30 pm on Friday and a lengthy search was launched in the creek but there was no trace of the boat.
Reports are that the search continued early yesterday morning and the boat minus the engine was found close to the Mahaicony Police Station.

According to a reliable source, the boat which was normally moored in front of a councillor’s house was used by the region to provide health service to residents in the creek.

The source said that the councilor had gone to the opening of the Berbice Expo at Albion and had left his small paddle boat at a landing to use to return home. However, when he got to the landing the boat was not there.

He immediately telephoned his son who then noticed the boat in front of the house. Upon further checks, the man’s son discovered that the other boat with engine was missing from in front of his home.

Together with other persons, they then started a lengthy search but the boat was nowhere in sight. Early yesterday morning the captain of the boat spotted it a short distance away from the station. The matter was reported to the police.

Reports are that the regional officials were advised on several occasions to build a boathouse and had promised to do so.