A post-mortem examination on 24-year-old Dweive Kant Ramdass who was dumped in the Essequibo River on Thursday showed that he died of asphyxiation – consistent with the confessions of members of the coast guard who robbed him of $17M.
Dweive Kant Ramdass
Stabroek News understands that the examination was done by Dr V Bridgemohan who also concluded that drowning contributed to the young man’s death. The man’s family yesterday said they were not satisfied with the findings of the examination as they strongly believe the young man was beaten before being dumped.
A sister of the young man, Nirvana Burnette, told Stabroek News yesterday that no family member was allowed to enter the room where the post-mortem was performed and they are questioning this. She said that there were obvious marks of violence on her brother’s body when it was pulled out of the Essequibo River on Saturday morning in the vicinity of Caiman Hole, the same area where the three soldiers had admitted dumping him on Thursday.
“His feet and around his neck had injuries and one of his eyes was popped out and he had what looked like a blow to the back of his head so I don’t know how they are not finding that he was beaten,” the sister said yesterday morning. Police sources yesterday said that the man’s body was decomposed and parts of the skin broken and therefore it appeared as if he was beaten, however, Burnette disputed this view as according to her Ramdass’s body was not in the water for such a long period.
“We hope that there is no cover-up and we are not going to take this easy and now one police officer telling us nonsense that “dem [his killers] just brush he up, we not taking this lightly,” the sister declared.
Meanwhile, sources told Stabroek News that the two soldiers in charge of the Fort Island base, where the three accused coast guard members were stationed, have been hauled in for questioning and are now at the Leonora Police Station. The sergeant in charge of the men reportedly gave his second-in-command a day off on request and he later left the base leaving a corporal in charge of the two privates.
It was during that period the three coast guard members took Ramdass out of a boat which had just left the Parika Stelling and robbed and threw him overboard. Reports are that while the men were returning to the area with the money the sergeant was returning to the base and attempted to stop them but they continued on their way and even switched off their cellular phones. The sergeant and his subordinate are now being questioned about their disappearance from the base at that said time and it is believed that the three coast guards had to be working with information as it was not the first time Ramdass would have travelled the route with large sums of money.
“They need to explain how they were conveniently not at the base when this was happening,” a source told Stabroek News.
Army Chief of Staff, Commodore Gary Best has since announced that a board of inquiry has been launched to determine the circumstances that led to the unauthorised patrol by the ranks.
‘Justice’
And Commander-in-Chief, President Bharrat Jagdeo in a Government Information Agency (GINA) release deplored the action by the army ranks.
“It’s reprehensible but it’s even worse because it was reportedly committed by members of the security forces – people who are supposed to protect and serve our country with integrity,” the president said in the release.
“We are not going to leave any stone unturned to ensure that they are brought to justice” he continued.
It is justice the relatives of Ramdass want and they are hoping that the matter is dealt with expeditiously. Stabroek News understands that the three men may appear in the Leonora Magistrate’s Court tomorrow.
Ramdass’ relatives said it was not the first time he had such a large sum of money on him. Relatives said that the young man’s older brother did the business, purchasing gold and diamond in Bartica for a Church Street business, but he later handed over to him as he was not working at the time.
“We don’t want to reveal too much about what he did because remember these people still have to conduct their business, life goes on,” Ramdass’s sister said yesterday. She maintained that the army ranks had to receive some information on her brother’s goings and comings and would have known he had money on his person when they singled him out.
Before he started doing the buying and selling business for the gold and diamond dealer the young Bartica resident worked in one of his brothers’ clothing stall in the Bartica Arcade and also worked briefly as a seaman on one of his sister’s boats.
Reports reaching this newspaper indicate that Barticians are very angry over the young man’s brutal death and are calling for a speedy trial. The Ramdass family is said to be well-known and respected in the community and residents are shocked over the incident.
‘Baby of the family’
Ramdass, who only celebrated his 24th birthday two Fridays ago, was the youngest of nine children and was said to be the “baby of the family.”
“Let me tell you he spoil rotten but he was a nice young man, always coming and hugging and kissing you. He was really sweet,” his sister said yesterday.
“Everything for him was still childish though, he was still a child and he did childish things, I don’t know why they had to take our baby,” the woman said.
She said they lost their mother when Ramdass was just eight and their father died five years ago “so we don’t have any parents it is just us brothers and sisters.”
“When our mother died it was traumatising because we did not expect it but when our father died it was not that hard because he was sick. But now this, this is more than we can take, he was young and full of life he was not sick, we don’t know how we would get over this,” another sibling lamented.
The family are staunch churchgoers and his sister Navana said they are comforted in the fact that their brother “knew Jesus and he would have made it right with the Lord.”
“But you know you are thinking how he would have begged, I know my brother and I know he begged for his life, he didn’t want to die. He must have been thinking that maybe one of his brothers would save him,” his sister said.
Police in their press release on Friday had said that they were investigating a robbery/abduction. According to the release, a report had been made that Ramdass of Third Avenue, Bartica, had been abducted by “three men in uniform similar to that of the Coast Guard,” in a boat between 3 and 3.30 pm in the Essequibo River.
The police release stated that seven persons had been arrested and $12.7M recovered, of which $4.3M was unaccounted for. This development led to the arrest of two policemen, who are still in custody pending investigations into the money outstanding.
Three relatives of the Coast Guard who were found with bags containing the cash were also arrested on Thursday. Among them was a woman. The three ranks according to information received, had admitted during interrogation that they had strangled Ramdass before dumping him in the river.
The shocking robbery and murder has raised more questions about another recent boat mishap in the Essequibo River in which two men died and a ten-year-old is still missing. Relatives of 45-year-old Jianarine Dinanauth and Henry Gibson, the same age, had initially suspected that the men’s boat was robbed. Dinanauth, who had only recently come out of the interior, reportedly wore jewellery which was missing when he was found, and had on his person $300,000. The body of ten-year-old Ricky Jainarine is yet to be found and yesterday his mother, Salimoon Rahaman, told Stabroek News that she hopes that if the now arrested coast guard ranks had anything to do with the incident that they confess. She said while there are reports that the coast guard boat was indeed seen close to the men’s boat she is yet to speak to the person who made the allegation. But she believes in her heart that the men were robbed and murdered. The men were making the 30-minute ride from Parika to Hog Island when the mishap occurred.
There are reports that the coast guard boat was hauled up on shore for three days after the incident but Commodore Best has reportedly stated that this was for normal maintenance work and has dismissed the allegations as mere “speculation.”
The incident also follows on the heels of another in the interior involving soldiers who robbed some miners close to Port Kaituma and they have since been charged and remanded to prison.
It also brings back memories of the Lindo Creek incident of June, 2008 where eight miners were killed and their bodies burnt. While the police and the army have maintained that the now dead Rondell ‘Fineman’ Rawlins and his marauding gang of killers were responsible for the murders, the owner of the camp, Leonard Arokium, had from the inception accused members of the joint services of committing the grisly act.
Ramdass will be laid to rest today in his native Bartica.
let the trial begins, show us the photo of all these bible students and church goers that were involved.
i remember many families saying that they never benefited from their ill gotten gain, here is the bloody truth of these alter boys.
Freespeech, your commandeer in chief is the man responsible how come he doesn’t want to investigate all the dastardly acts of the army? lindo creek, the incident a few weeks ago with the army boat and another vessel?
Your govt is busy in the cover up business man, shame shame shame!
Freespeech, you sound like you are about to convict all the families who said they never benefited from their children illegal activities and it is clear that you are only referring to those that were involved in Robberies. Would you be as quick to accussed the families of Drug Dealers, Corrupt Govt Officials etc. because i can bet you that many of these people children were put through school on the illegal and blood money. You need to be balanced in your condemnation.
For those families who said that they have not benefited we must believe them unless there is evidence to show otherwise as in this case. Most Small time bandits do not share their loots with family memebers but all Corrupt Govt Officials and Drug Dealers provides a decent living for all members of their families.
What these soldiers and many more soldiers and Police officers do and continue to be involved in is totally totally wrong and as many of us know this has been happenning for years. The GPF and GDF has always been the Tools of the ruling party. A while back I said, even if the law abiding Buxtonians wanted to help the police, as some did, there was no protection for them. Many tried passing information to both the Police and the Army and they either lost their lives, had their houses burnt down or had to run from this country. I give a good example in one of my blogs about surviving the crime wave in Buxton and you know how i did it….by trusting no one. The Police was the worst then the Army then the Bandits because most of the time they will feed information pass to them back to the bandits, for a raise i suppose, who in turn will kill you.
I grew up in Linden and i remembered when i was about 11 years old a notorious policeman shot a man to death in the back infront of boatsman club, not far from Palm Tree cinema. While in my mid 20s i happened to be in company where this same police officer will come and drink. All i can think everytime he was around was that this man is a killer and i hated when he came around.
He, like many Police Officers have followed in his foot steps and made a name for themselves strangely not the name any respectable Police Officer would want for him/her self.
In my opinion crime rose 100 fold after the 1997 election and reached it’s pinancle between 2002 – 2006.
We can blame many for this starting with a weak opposition, an unpatriotic opposition, a weak and corrupt Government, unprofessional security service but at the end of the day the bulk of the blame rest at the feet of this current Administration and the people of this country.
In all thats has happened since 97, from the court order being thrown over the shoulder of a frm. president to this Good looking youth dying at the hands of criminals in the sercuity forces not one of us and i mean not one of us was brave enough to stand up and do the RIGHT THING; I am not counting those with a political agenda. When was the last time we had a Army Chief of staff that put this country first, when was the Last time we had a Commissioner of Police that understand his responsibilities and carried them out without fear or favour as outline in the constitution.
Mr. Best is weak and so is Greene.
My sympathy is with young Ramdass family. I don’t know what more to say because this is going to happen next week. I am Just tired.
Freespeech, this is the first time I am diagreeing with you. SOME army thugs think they can get away with anything. Let’s throw the book at these ones…let’s start here.
Dude: Freespeech is speaking tongue in cheek.
dude that is exactly what i’m saying, plus use the polygraph on the remaining.
this must be a regular exercise on all govt employees where there are possibility of crimes.
Quote: ["There are reports that the coast guard boat was hauled up on shore for three days after the incident (Hogg Island incident) but Commodore Best has reportedly stated that this was for normal maintenance work and has dismissed the allegations as mere “speculation.”"]
SN reported earlier based on interviews that the Coast Guard vessel did not patrol for three days after the Hogg Island incident. Also that portions of the boat had been repainted with green paint that did not exactly match the overall green color of the rest of the boat.
Would Commodore Best also address specifically the allegation about particular sections of the boat being repainted?
Stabroek News, please clear up this matter with Commodore Best. After all you (SN) had reported this.
Best even in the face of damning evidence is trying to cover up the situation rather than just deal with it head on.
The ballyhoo that was found with 2 bodies murdered in it and the 10 year old has green and black paint on it.
Does that not warrant at least a look at? the paint on the boat shows inconsistency in the paint work on the coast guard vessel but best is still ducking and hiding.
This is why the Ramdass family should not accept this man into their home any further and they should not accept a penny from jagdoe and his cronies.
Shame shame shame
The people of this country seam to have lost there touch with reality taking into consideration crimes in this country are being committed more by the people who are sworn to uphold the laws and no body seams to notice, there is a movie that would explain the role this governments plays in all of this even if they haven’t had a hand directly there lack in response adds up to it. The movie is named V for Vendetta against its people.
The commander – in chief has to look into his DISGRACEFUL OFFICER’S behavour.It seems as if it is Jagdeo’s PASS-WORD “NO STONE LEFT UNTURNED” Start with the boat that was hauled up for repairs, the green (matching paint) on the boat of the Dinanauth’s incident.putting two and two together all these SO-CALLED ACCIDENTS are INCIDENTS that occurred involving HIGH RANKING OFFICERS and other INFROMANTS….If you poeple do not be careful these INCIDENT could take a terrible turn. Mr.PRESIDENT I URGE YOU TO TAKE SWIFT ACTION
Trust me this is more lip service from Jagdeo like when he stands to the top of the podium and hollers Raja Khan must speak what he knows. Knowing fully well Raja khan’s plea deal will prevent him from speaking publicly about what he has shared with the US govt.
BS check see if your mouth have a hole.
I hope someone would read my blog before the law-enforcers to get to the boat and get the part with the matching paint of the Coast Guard boat
Deze your boy Best says that is mere speculation….. these chaps are shameless man shameless my man.
There should be a thorough investigation into this CRIME. These men are supposed to protect and serve. Mr Best you should stop defemnding these men and doubting stuff. It is time for you to accept the wrong doing of your men, take the shame and strategically move on. Make sure that this Never HAPPENS AGAIN. Be humble and ask for international help and guidance. “YOU ARE WAY IN OVER YOUR HEAD” This is a reflection of how LOW people have sunk in order to make a quick buck.
Pass them through the courts and if found guilty lost them away for the rest of their lives in jail. As for the relatives who had the money, no less than 25 years in jail. Well the police who stole from the thieves, they need nothing less than the 25 years too.
How can pleople believe that these rogues have not been terrorising people and extort money out of them. How can we believe one word that comes out of the mouths of the JS?
I agree with you John smith. But only I wish the death penility was still in action.
Why no ‘apology’ yet from the ‘Commander-in-chief??’ He should have been doing the apologising and not Best!!
It is now incumbent upon the DPP and those concerned that there be charges, speedy trials and a swift administration of justice all the while bearing in mind that this case screams for the death penalty!!
The Joint Services need to immediately strengthen their intelligence divisions to properly screen applicants and to continuously monitor the lifestyles and associations of its members! This will help to ‘weed out’ those found unsuitable at any time. Oh – and this time the gov’t needs to hire someone with a stellar reputation and who is not a convicted felon!! – That’s right !! NO MORE BERNIE KERICKS!!!
Apology you ask? apology? dem man wrong and strong budday. This is the same man who says he doesn’t lose sleep when criminals are killing other criminals. This is the great statesman we have for a leader.
Shame shame shame
he did.
Freespeech as i said lip service didn’t you see he didnt have time to go to Kant Ramdass funeral he had to attend the 50th function for gossai?
Ya man shameless commandeer we got there. Shameless.
It is a frightening thing when the security forces of a country become involved in crime. The abduction and murder of Ramdass last week should be condemned in the strongest possible terms by all sections of society. In light of this revelation, rigorous investigations should commence immediately into previous similar incidents, including the many unsolved robberies suffered by our hard working fishermen.
I hope the perpetrators of this heinous crime along with those who aided and abetted, are showed no mercy.
The media should be congratulated for bringing and keeping this issue to the fore. It is at this stage that I wish to see Journalist ‘role their sleeves up’ and really get into some investigative journalism. I am almost certain there is much, much more just beneath the surface.
my condolences for this family is first. It seems like the president likes to use the words “we will leave no stone unturned” as he did in the Lindo Creek murders and so much more. But contrary to his words, when the opportunity presented itself for an investigation, he and his government back down and even attacks the media houses for pointing out the facts. I commend the Stabroeknews and kaieteurnews for reporting these stories and keeping it alive. I pray that somehow, someday under proper command those responsible will be brought to justice and face an equal or greater penalty for the crimes committed on innocent lives. Note too that a higher being is always in charge who will deliver the ultimate sentence. I urge all guyanese to examine the situation in guyana and make a wise choice in the upcoming elections.