Toolbox

Arokium fears for his life

Arokium fears for his life

Leonard Arokium the owner of the Lindo Creek mining camp where eight miners including his son and brother were killed about a month ago, believes that his life is in imminent danger in the wake of checks on his movements by a group of men unknown to him.

A letter was dispatched yesterday to Commissioner of Police Henry Greene, signed by a representative on behalf of Arokium’s attorney Nigel Hughes who is currently overseas, advising him of Arokium’s fears. Hughes said he had been instructed that a group of six men have been making various inquiries in his client’s immediate neighbourhood about the location of his home, his movements and the persons who reside with him.

The letter further said that Arokium had been advised to make a report to the police station “But we fear that this is a real and present danger which requires your most urgent personal intervention.” Further, it said that the Arokium family has already suffered untold pain at their most recent loss and to compound their tragedy with the possibility of the loss of another family would be heinous.

Hughes said too that he hoped that in the light of Arokium’s suspicions “about the identity of the perpetrators of the Lindo Creek Massacre” that the Guyana Police Force (GPF) would spare no effort in protecting his life. “Our client remains available to speak with you personally about this plight,” the letter said, adding that Arokium fears that should information be shared with other members of the GPF it “may unwittingly find its way into the hands of those who are the subject of the information.”

Arokium told Stabroek News that he believes that the threats to him are a result of his outspokenness about the slaying of his men. From the beginning Arokium had made it clear that he felt it was the lawmen who had slaughtered and then burnt the remains of his men. He said his claims were based on his knowledge of the geography of the area and that it would have been impossible for wanted man Rondell Rawlins and his gang to be escaping the net set by lawmen and turn back to kill his men. He said too that the lawmen’s claim that the job had the mark of Rawlins’s gang was baseless.

The bodies of the eight men were burnt along with their belongings. This would have caused a fire that would have been seen from overhead. Throughout the search for the gang in the Upper Berbice River area, the army’s Bell 206 helicopter was said to be up and running; aiding the lawmen’s mission. However, to date neither the police nor army has reported seeing any flames from overhead.

Experts from Trinidad and Jamaica are assisting the local authorities is analyzing the crime scene and confirming that the remains found at the camp site are indeed those of the men who are believed dead. Meanwhile, Arokium says he has not gotten any word from the lawmen as regards their stated intention to conduct DNA tests. He had told this newspaper that the police had asked him to advise the relatives of the men believed dead of their intention.

This newspaper was not able to determine if Greene had received the letter.

Comments

About Comments

We reserve the right to edit/delete comments for length, any libel and taste. We moderate all comments so be patient while your message waits to be approved.
Curious about the little images next to each commenter's name ? Go here and sign up using the same email address you used to register for Stabroeknews.com then upload your image and confirm it.
We recognized that the registration process was troublesome to some users. So now in addition to being able to fully register and subscribe with a username and password, you can also comment on the articles by simply entering a name and email address. If you are a frequent commenter, you will want to login so you don’t have to re-type your name and email address everytime you make a comment.

36 Responses to “Arokium fears for his life”

Arcadia Terry
on July 18th, 2008 6:00 am

Looks like the men responsible for your workers death lookin for you , Well that means The fine man gang is in the city moving freely without being detected very interesting.

[Reply to this]
Chemist
on July 18th, 2008 7:32 am

Are they from the “PHANTOM” squad?

[Reply to this]
redindian
on July 18th, 2008 7:50 am

i smell a rat !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Reply to this]
gordonmnr
on July 18th, 2008 8:25 am

redina you smella rat i smell george bacchus

[Reply to this]
Dinstinct
on July 18th, 2008 8:40 am

Run fuh yuh life Akorim..this is Guyana No Law Land…Greeene said they cornered fine man so it can’t be him……

[Reply to this]
sagga Grand K-Man
on July 18th, 2008 8:54 am

This just shows the world how corrupt Guyana has become. I recalled that this news papers reporting officials as saying that this was the work of fineman,well Mr. fineman you are the best when I grow up I want to have powers just like you. To my fellow Guyanes I think it is time that you follow the Bajans,the yardies,the St. Lucians and Grenadians VOTE this Government out !! They are both a national and International embarrassment to Guyanese everywhere, I disliked Forbes Burnham that was my reason for migrating but I tell you what this Goverment is the cream of the crop the worst Guyana has ever had.

[Reply to this]
finethings
In reply to the above comment on July 18th, 2008 12:05 pm:
well sagga Grand K-Man you are not living in Guyana and you know how corrupt the country has become. The jadgeo government is playing a blame game.to be honest anything bad that happen in this country someone else except them is to be blamed. it is time that the Jagdeo goverment take a stand and show the world that Guyana can rise to the top and where we are at right now is because of the PPP/C regime. It is time that their slogan ” ONE GOOD TURN DESERVE ANOTHER” take effect because the guyanese people are suffering. We have to cope with the cost of living. just imagine 1 pint of rice is $120.00 guyana dollars!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! we are in a bad state.

[Reply to this]
shocked
In reply to the above comment on July 24th, 2008 8:29 am:
I say let’s start a petition to recall the president. The PNC is wasting their time with Caricom. If they start a recall campaign , get the required signatures and present them to parlament, then they would have to be taken seriously, never mind it will be defeated.
Galton Flood
on July 18th, 2008 9:17 am

For someone who is afraid for his life, he was doing alot of talking especially soon after the incident. Not that he shouldn’t.

[Reply to this]
deflect
on July 18th, 2008 9:31 am

The fear expressed by Arokium is reminiscent of those made by the infamous Bacchus who was murdered as a result of his exposure of the sordid affairs of the Death Squad debacle. In Bacchus’ case, the underworld which is inclusive of some members of the authority of which he was very much a part, may have deemed him a ‘snitch’, so he was left out into the cold to be ‘done in’ for fear of more exposure; dead men tell no tales.

Arokium is not ‘snitching’ but merely doing what he must, and that is keeping hope alive that this horror, like many of its kind in Guyana’s recent violent history, would not be swept under the carpet to be forgotten and remain unsolved.

Let’s hope that, unlike Bacchus, this time around the authorities will do everything to protect him. On second thought, who will protect him since the very people who should are suspects? Talk about a rock and a hard place!

[Reply to this]
finethings
In reply to the above comment on July 18th, 2008 12:24 pm:
well, deflect you hit the hammer on the right nail. once you are friends with the people of the underworld and which of course you will know all of their secrets and you get fed up with them and you want to get out they will do all things in their power so that you will not let their secrets out. once their secret is out you are labelled as an “informer” and the saying goes “informer must dead”. So i am happy that Aroukium express his fear and hopefully justice will be on his side and be for him and i am praying that the lord keep him safe minus police because you cannot put a cat to watch milk.

[Reply to this]
dawning
on July 18th, 2008 10:14 am

I saw this coming - i used the spyware!
It is good to let the public know about your suspicions Mr. Arokium.

By the way - why did the police say they will not charge the “suspect” or “witness” yet?

Waiting to see what are the findings of the forensics and others before they proceed with the scapegoat????? hmmmmmmmmm

[Reply to this]
mercigar
on July 18th, 2008 10:50 am

The police spared no effort in protecting George Bacchus life…Ooops! (Am I so wrong!) They may offer the same kind of protection to Arokium. HEAVEN HELP US…ALL!

[Reply to this]
MS_msprobe
on July 18th, 2008 10:52 am

You’re very smart man Mr. Leonard Arokium, this move save your life and be caucious whom you talk too since you are away because your friends could be the one sharing out information and getting paid to do it as well. It is obvious what happen at your camp site and for the record we all know what could be the outcome but lets wait and see what the forensic team will reveal and what will be the final result. I believe you know the truth and speaking the truth will treaten or casued your life. I hope this resolved pretty soon so the families of the decease can get some comfort and know what happen on that faithful day at your camp site. I hope the government is prepared to compensate you and the other families and the GDF pay the price.

[Reply to this]
Kufu
on July 18th, 2008 11:01 am

Some body should video tape these men

[Reply to this]
Chemist
on July 18th, 2008 12:10 pm

Mr. Arokium you need to keep the public abrest, shout it loud in the streets and let this be a deterent to those with wicked intentions. You can trust the public to look out for you than “you know who”!

[Reply to this]
de canadianCarl Veecock
on July 18th, 2008 12:33 pm

Sometimes I like to pose as if I am ‘a see far man’.
But in this case I don’t want to see my previously expressed fears come to pass.

I did say in an earlier post that Arokium will find himself under constant police
surveillance and perhaps harassment as he goes about his business activities.
Inferentially he would have to fear for his existence. Now out comes a open statement that the man is in fear of his life.

Remember the police wanted him to recant his earlier statement about the information he received about the massacre of his workers and who he was told had done it. He refused, so all too soon the consequential actions will flow.

Now what is this guy to do?
I say continue to speak our loud and clear every day.
Talk to the GHRA. Talk to the media. Talk to your priest.
Just talk and talk. It might not give you full security, but if anything does happen to you, we would have no doubt as to who the perpetrators are.

What a new country we live in!

[Reply to this]
bgsbny
on July 18th, 2008 12:41 pm

……. 12 comments and none is making any sense !….if mr. burnham was around like the executive president that he was ,, bet y’all couldn’t even say queh !…

but like me,, an y’all as G’nese know,, “bully is de parent of eyepass” suh y’all juss have a field day with bully that we have come to know that y’all capable of !….

doan fuhget doh ,, moon duz run till day ketch ‘um ……..

an dah is all i sayin’……

[Reply to this]
malaika06
In reply to the above comment on July 18th, 2008 6:41 pm:
why you always resurrecting Burnham jumbie? He should really come and bite you

[Reply to this]
guy123
In reply to the above comment on July 19th, 2008 2:49 am:
You sure right,Malaika,I notice that some people like to resurect Burnham everytime the topic about this government gets hot,maybe they are being “possessed” by Burnham’s spirit ,Ha ha ha!! I feel so sorry for them.

THRUSTT
In reply to the above comment on July 19th, 2008 3:10 am:
BURNHAM AINT DEAD, HE LIMIN WID ELVIS IN TENNESSEE…
cochore
on July 18th, 2008 2:08 pm

It looks like Guyana has definitely loss its innocence…. Just imagine, as a teenager, my fear of the police back then was getting caught for riding my bike at night without head lights. Now I’m hearing about death squads and Mr Arokium, a bereaved victim in fear of his life. Yea..Yea… I know I’ve been gone for too long.

[Reply to this]
motherofmine
on July 18th, 2008 3:10 pm

my blog might not be invited nor liked right now, but this is how i feel based on what i followed here for the past few weeks. but i am not buying mr arokium story here i think it is over played a bit.

i am starting to think he might not have the facts he said he has.

as an attorney and a former investigator something is not smelling right. if you bloggers look back carefully at this story you will see some parts of it is missing. i think mr arokium might have a lot of telling to do at the end of this.

WHY THIS MAN IS NOT TALKING ABOUT THE GOLD OR OTHE RMINERAL THAT WENT MISSING AND WHY HE DID NOT ALERT HIS MEN TO REMOVE WHEN HE WAS TOLD TO DO SO, I THINK THAT WE NEED TO BE LOOKING FOR AN ENTIRE SET OF PEOPLE.

PLEASE BLOGGERS , LOOK AT THIS THING WITH FRESH EYES

[Reply to this]
sagga Grand K-Man
In reply to the above comment on July 18th, 2008 5:00 pm:
I really am not convinced that you are an attorney, why would a man be sleezy when he lost his son and brother?? What he has to gain from all this. Based upon the information provided by the media,it points to the military maybe it was a mistake and it cannot get undone so everyone has to point fingers in different directions eg. fineman ,skinny everyone now turn shaggy it wasnt me.If the mineral and gold went missing dead man cant keep it the person or persons who did the slyings have to have it and that is what Mr Arokium is insisting. so I really dont get yah drift buddy.

[Reply to this]
maryjane
In reply to the above comment on July 18th, 2008 10:33 pm:
motherofmine, this is for you. i am mr. arokium’s eldest daughter and i had to reply to you. The last thing my dad and the family is interested in is the missing gold and diamond (material things), hello, he lost his son and brother, i lost my brother and my uncle. my dad, mr. arokium got no warning, why would he not heed to such a warning? he felt that his men were secured with the heavy presence of the lawmen nearby, who my brother and company had a relationship with.

[Reply to this]
COSMIKE
In reply to the above comment on July 20th, 2008 10:01 am:
Very Well Said Maryjane, It’s So Nice To See Someone From The Arokuim,s Family Speak Out In Light Of So Many Frivolous Speculations Especially From People Who Uses The Term ATTORNEY To Describe Themselves And Somehow Thinks That The Rest Of Us Should Buy Into Their Theory Wholesale,
Was This ATTORNEY The Joint Services Witness When They Allegedly Warned Your Dad And His Men To Remove From The Lindo Creek Area ? I’m Sure The Answer Is A Big Fat NO And As Such He/She Should Shut Their Traps, Look At How They’re Only Interested The GOLD & DIAMONDS , But It Is The Arokuim’s Family And The Other Miners Family That Is Really Feeling It In This Very Trying Time Of Their Lives, May God Give Each Of You The Strength To Take It One Day At A Time, The Truth WILL Prevail No Matter What Any Self Proclaim Ambulance Chaser Says!!

justice4all
In reply to the above comment on July 19th, 2008 2:22 am:
If you are an attorney you probably bought that Law Degree at Big Market.. He owned the gold and minerals. If the yield in the mine was to that degree to tempt the owner to despatch his crew merely because of what he had to pay them, how much is he loosing by not being able to continue working? Why is still in Guyana if he had made such a killing. Like typical PPP sycophants, you put your keyboard in gear before engaging your brain.

I do not know why the censors in this blog allow you to accuse Arokium of this crime, but censor us for developing on his suspicions. The press, despite the overwhelming evidence of the drive for dictatorship in Guyana, continues to pander to the powers that seek this dictatorship. Why is there no balance between what is allowed to be said about side as opposed to the other. The Government and its acolytes can use the pages of the independent press tp point fingers at anyone, but the censor goes crazy when this is reciprocated.

I wrote a blog earlier and it was censored. It did not contain anything that has not been alluded to by Arokium. But this nutty idea that Arokium killed off his men for the gold and diamonds he owned gets published. That’s balance for you

[Reply to this]
BADLALL
on July 18th, 2008 3:50 pm

Stand your ground L Arokium and allways let the media,guyanese and the lawyers know that you are being stalked.

[Reply to this]
Sarkar
on July 18th, 2008 6:01 pm

I must digress a bit and write about another scenario similar to Arokium’s and G Bacchus’s. I wonder if R Khan will be safer if he goes to jail in the US rather than being freed? I must say that he will probably safer as a guest of Uncle Sam. Afterall he will soon be babbling and some interesting names may be babbled. Is there any such things as witness protection or “snitch” protection in Guyana? There is in thr US of A.
I hope that the commish will be able to keep L A safe from the hounds.

[Reply to this]
motherofmine
on July 18th, 2008 6:58 pm

FURTHER, I CAN THINK FOR MYSELF AND DONT HAVE TO GO ALONG WITH THE VIEW PIONT OF EVERYONE ELSE. I DONT THINK THE STORY HIS TRUE AND THATS THAT, I HAVE HEARD BETTER STORIES THAN HIS

[Reply to this]
freetorun
In reply to the above comment on July 19th, 2008 12:57 am:
it was rumor that he usually buy the gold stolen by fineman

[Reply to this]
guy123
In reply to the above comment on July 19th, 2008 2:58 am:
From all your previous posts your viewpoint has always gone the same way,and it is quite clear which way that is.But please spare Mr Arokium he has suffered a lot.

[Reply to this]
COSMIKE
In reply to the above comment on July 20th, 2008 10:34 am:
How Can You Continue To Be So Insensitive Towards Mr Arokuim, Did You Ever Notice That The Rain Don’t Fall On One Man’s House Top ! I May Not Be Good With Faces But I Never Forget An (A H) Go Figure !!

[Reply to this]
maryjane
In reply to the above comment on July 20th, 2008 2:32 pm:
in reply to motherofmine this is from Dax Arokium”s mother……with all respect due to you, we would appreciate if you keep your comments and disbelieves to yourself ,at this time as we continue to mourn the lost of our son.

[Reply to this]
raisinghell
on July 18th, 2008 11:10 pm

People stop beating about the bush. The commissioner of police is the one sending his goons to watch you.

[Reply to this]
freetorun
on July 19th, 2008 12:59 am

why was he scared to go at the mine when he was first informed, he said someone try to trick him.

[Reply to this]