One held over attack on Oscar Clarke

Police say that one person has been held in relation to the robbery and shooting of PNCR General Secretary Oscar Clarke.

Linda Clarke, the man’s wife, had told Stabroek News that on Thursday, her son, Derwyn Lyte, had been asked to identify persons who police believed were involved in the attack. She was eventually told that nothing came of the process.

Oscar Clarke
Oscar Clarke

Clarke was shot three times as he attempted to fend off armed intruders after four of them made their way into his home at Plum Park, Sophia on Tuesday evening. Linda Clarke and her son, Lyte, were both assaulted during the intrusion.

Linda said the men carted off an undisclosed sum of money and two rings, which they took from Lyte and his wife.

Meanwhile, officials at the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH) yesterday said that Clarke, 74, is improving. This comes after the man had complained about feeling ill on Wednesday.

Linda Clarke had said on Thursday that the bullet lodged in the man’s hip still had not been removed. She explained that her husband’s attending doctor told her that they have decided to defer the removal of the bullet, which could be done in another one or two weeks.

According to the doctor, Clarke had lost a lot of blood after he was shot and is currently in no condition to undergo the operation necessary to remove the bullet. In addition to this, it was said that there are concerns about an infection developing if the procedure were to go wrong. As a result, the doctors have decided to leave the bullet as it is for now. It was said that the bullet is not in a position where it can cause further damage.

On Wednesday, Prime Minister Samuel Hinds visited Clarke, who displayed lacerations to his head where had been gun-butted as well as the gun shot wounds he had sustained during the attack.

According to a Government Information Agency (GINA) release, Clarke, who thought himself, “lucky to be alive,” told Hinds that “I’m a fighter, they couldn’t knock me out.”

Hinds commended him for his courage and wished him a speedy recovery.