Persons to be charged today over missing aircraft

Acting Commissioner of Police Henry Greene says that a number of persons will be charged today over a small aircraft which disappeared from the Anna Regina runway two weeks ago after it was landed there by a local pilot.

Greene said that the plane is yet to be located.

According to initial reports sometime between the 14th and 15th of this month the aircraft went missing. Since the disappearance of the aircraft, three officials of Fenix Airways, the company which leased the aircraft, were detained.

They were subsequently released after habeas corpus writs were filed in the High Court on their behalf. The blue and white Piper Seneca aircraft with red stripes and the marking 8RGAA on the tail was sold by Air Services to Fenix Airways Inc about a month ago, but the company did not pay in full and so the registration of the aircraft has remained with it pending full payment. Residents had told this newspaper that they had seen the aircraft circling before touching down.

Vladimir Vanzo, the major shareholder of Fenix Airways, had said in an affidavit that the pilot of the plane had requested to use the aircraft to transport his family to Essequibo. He said the pilot landed the plane and escorted his family to a relative’s home but when he returned the aircraft was missing.

Meanwhile, in a release by the Government Information Agency, the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) head Zulficar Mohamed said that the whereabouts of the aircraft is still unknown, but neighbouring states such as Venezuela, Suriname and Brazil have been alerted. The GCAA Director noted that several of its regulations have been breached and consideration is being given to imposing the charges where necessary.

He said that the GCAA was receiving support from the police as the investigations are ongoing, the GINA release said.