A man is currently being grilled as the police intensify their investigations into Thursday’s attempt on the life of Maria van Beek, while the government has beefed up security for the injured woman, her relatives and the employees of CLICO (Guyana).
Maria van Beek
Crime Chief Seelall Persaud informed Stabroek News yesterday that a man was picked up at a Georgetown location on Thursday based on information.
He was quick to point out though that the man has not been identified as one of the perpetrators in the brazen crime, but rather he was picked up for questioning.
Van Beek, who is the judicial manager of the ailing insurance company, was on her way to work when the incident occurred. According to reports, she was stuck in a long line of traffic at the corner of Lombard and Leopold streets during a heavy downpour around 8:15 am when a gunman walked up to her vehicle and fired a single shot through the driver’s side window before running off along the flooded street. He jumped on a waiting motor cycle parked a short distance away and fled the area.
Police had said in a statement that following the shooting patrols were dispatched to the scene, roadblocks were laid out and several searches were conducted.
Persaud told this newspaper during the telephone interview yesterday that ranks from `A’ (Georgetown), `C’ (East Coast) and `D’ (West Coast Demerara) Divisions were involved in the immediate attempts to apprehend the perpetrators. The crime chief did not have the information at hand as to where the roadblocks were set up.
Police sources subsequently said that it was the standard operational procedure whenever a major crime occurs for all divisions to be informed and roadblocks set up; the divisions would lend whatever other form of assistance they can.
This newspaper was told that roadblocks were set up at the Demerara Harbour Bridge and along the lower East Coast and river patrols were conducted.
In the city, a number of vehicular patrols were dispatched.
One police source said that the police were informed of the shooting at least 15 minutes after it occurred and the response was immediate.
Up to press time last evening there was no information available from the police on the location of the CG motorcycle that the shooter and his accomplice fled on.
Stable condition
In the meantime, van Beek is said to be in a stable condition at a city hospital having had successful surgery to remove the bullet that was lodged in her chest.
Her husband, Patrick van Beek told Stabroek News that he could not make a statement on the shooting as he is “still in a state of shock”.
Asked about his wife’s condition, he said that the operation to remove the bullet “went well” and that she is in a stable condition.
The shooting came two days after van Beek handed over her findings on the company’s financial standings to the High Court.
Security
Responding to questions yesterday at his post-cabinet briefing,
Head of the Presidential Secretariat Dr Roger Luncheon said that there had been increased and additional security at the hospital, van Beek’s home and at the CLICO office in the light of the incident which was “totally unexpected”.
Asked about the government’s stance on the police progress so far he said, “It is difficult to pronounce on our satisfaction or even to make a comment on what the police investigations have led to because these are operational issues and we are probably as much in the dark as the average Guyanese”.
He stressed that there is need for patience so as to allow the investigators to do their work.
“Be patient and allow the police… give them the space and give them the time to pursue the leads they have gotten and to come forward with some news or make some declarations about progress in the investigation of this matter,” Luncheon told reporters.
He said that when police provide the government with an update, it is expected that the criminal would have been identified, might have been arrested and even charged. Luncheon said he believes this would be accomplished within a reasonable period of time.
He said one would recognise that the police “are most disinclined to give a day-by-day, minute-to-minute account of what is going on.”
He pointed out that while the public is looking for progress he doubted the police “will come and tell you that we [the police] are in this street and we (the police) have so many people investigating. So I would want to urge the media to be aware, to be conversant with these realities.”
He said the attack on the judicial manager had traumatized the nation and he used yesterday’s press briefing as an opportunity to again convey Cabinet’s outrage at the incident and to wish van Beek a speedy recovery.
God’s grace and a speedy recovery.When this crime is solved and i hope it’s soon,may all involved be brought to justice.
most of the time the media wants the police to answer questions to crime which always hamper there investigation and allow the perpetrators to have the upper hands with there plans….they aways forcing questions that only the police should be asking..in this regard the crooks always have time and idea as to how to distack the investuigation cause of what the media publish….
That is the role of the media in Guyana TG, they always try to get ahead of the police and enlighten the criminals, it show straight away which side they are on…
Stop blaming the media for doing their job. US and Canadian media also report on incidents and ask questions, not becaue they think they are better than the police, but they want to help readers who might know something or anything to pick up on clues and bang the clues in to police. The police can’t reach everybody with info without the help of the media. The police NEED the media in 90 percent of incidents!
“Man being grilled over van Beek attempted murder”
Stabroek News says…
Kaieteur New says “A top police official confirmed that a man fitting the gunman’s description was taken into custody yesterday”
Both new papers talking about the same “man”?
Don’t know what to beleive. I hope the media gives us only the facts on this story as it unfolds.
Soldier you know why this happen? is because of the oh laud 28 years of PNC rule, oh laud is 28 years, yep ow how we manage to survive i dont know. How we manage to come through dis struggle i doan know.
Oh laud, ow is 28 years. Weh mi cup deh?
Cut the bull, stop wasting people’s time & taxpayers’ monies. WE ALL KNOW that NOTHING WILL COME OUT OF ANY INVESTIGATIONS INTO THIS. STOP IT!!!! THE PEOPLE WILL RETALIATE FOR REAL IF YOU GUYS DO NOT CUT THE BULL TIME IS DRAWING NIGH!!!
Mr Persaud where was the A B and C division of the Guyana Police Department when Ronald Waddle was Riddled/Killed ?, and
did the police every pickup and grilled anyone ?, and what about some of Roger Khan phontom squad members that is STILL around.
suh wat yuh pick e up fun an grillin e fuh if e is not de shooter…
people right fuh seh yall stupidy police and like runnin to de press jus fuh meck people tink yall doin yuh job
wake up an gwan back to sleep and ketch de real killa an de boses dem
nice to see you again
evileyes is it you, where you bin my padna, welcome back.
He never left, he was using a diffrent name LAMBADA.
Welcome back Evil.
evileyes you were absent for a long time…what happen man; like the stories did not please you….hahahahahha.
evil?????, i see u cant stay away for long from this blog site, chronicle must be boring.
LAMBADA:::thanks…miss ya too..good to see you still blogin here….
Amen-ra[Jackass seh de world na level:::bro yuh missing out man…Barbados good…..Aruba better but Guyana de best man…had me some of de best cookup & kitchry in de world man…going back july 28 ehehehehe…miss de fights man..take care always bro…
Arnold:::Thanks bro….
JOhn Brown:::ehehehe good to be man bro…miss ya man…but read at de top where I was…too bad it had to come to an end..gudd to see ya man..take care…
Tiger::::awww bro miss ya man…thanks…ehehehe let the cyber war continue ok…miss ya bro….oh bin by chronicle but i didnt hear de press printin..econo bad man ehehehehehe take care
Hi evileyes welcome back, I see you still have your sense of humor.
Oi, Evil!
…e-e, don’t let out the exact date you going back to guyana … and you should know why … safety, man, safety …
The Pee Peed Poo can no longer hide behind this is the PNC fault and this is bhagwan fault anymore, this is clearly at their doorstep now and clearly at the feet of Jagdeo. The current government is absolutely responsible for lawlessness in the country and lack of law enforcement.
The government has shown that they would rather spend money on propaganda and fly jagdeo and his cronies all over the world rather than revamping the police force and hiring knowledgeable and skilled individuals from the FBI or Scotland yard to pump new life into law enforcement and reform the institution.
They have demonstrated that they prefer to spend their money on Presidential advisors @ a bargain of 13K USD tax free per month plus perks which comes up to about 200,000 USD per year instead of spending that kind of cash on a new crime chief who can use technology and modern law enforcement techniques to bring the force up to international standards.
The PPP has failed it is time to move on and time for change. Please I urge all persons with some interest left in this country to return and vote in 2011.
u go and vote and make the change. see what u can do.
BS whose slate would you like to be on for the elections in 2011. This would allow bloggers to have field days with bs.
Good luck to the police hope they catch these criminals….alive….can lead to motive and instigator/s
Quote: “Police sources subsequently said that it was the standard operational procedure whenever a major crime occurs for all divisions to be informed and roadblocks set up” AND the crime rate is still so very high. This appears to be a very deliberate move to eliminate this woman and was well orchestrated: they obviously knew her routine/or she was followed. This is the end of the investigations!!!
Luncheon can spout a whole lot of hot air. Luncheon,the police and the public are non the wiser on this matter.
Quote:“Be patient and allow the police… give them the space and give them the time to pursue the leads” what leads- this will die a natural death. Ignorance raineth over the motherland!!!
I hope they don’t just hold on to any tom, dick and harry just to please the public, they have to get concrete evidence and not just running helter skelter and pin it on innocent bystander and said the crime is solved, in most cases like this they usually go unsolved.
amen-ra [jackass seh de world na level]
watch dem loose e just now ehehehe yuh right…
Suppose the Clico sitiation is being used as a cover, a red herring, for the REAL motive for this attempted murder?