Dear Editor,
I cannot overcome the shock of suffering the loss of $120,000 from my home at Charity, Essequibo Coast during a police search shortly after 8.30 Monday night February 4, for arms and ammunition.
For the past 30 years, I have been operating a food restaurant and snackette at the same location on the lower flat of a two storey building with the upstairs consisting of 2 bedrooms being my living quarters.
It was not only baffling to me as a single woman but to the entire community with many questions being raised for such a search to be executed on the premises having regard to the fact that I have always confined my operations within the ambit of the law, and moreso at that time of the night.
Several customers were being served by me at the time when a lone rank who I had seen before came in plain clothes by the kitchen section and told me that he was in possession of a warrant to search my premises for arms and ammunition.
Although sensing that the authencity of the warrant seemed to have been in doubt from the questions put to me before the rank could have ascertained my right name, I offered no objection to the search.
“Do nothing, fear nothing” operated in my mind as this officer commenced the search on the bottom flat where three other armed male ranks and a female joined him while some ranks holding guns as well surrounded the building.
The search there was futile and even upstairs where I had the money in a gift bag hung on a hat stand in a bedroom.
My trust was always with the search party because I knew nothing of the kind was on the premises and while only two ranks were doing the ransacking upstairs, I just stayed in the company of the others who were also there with no fear that the money would have disappeared.
When I next saw the bag during the same night, it was on the bed and when I checked for the money it was missing.
Following the surprising discovery, I immediately informed a policeman living nearby and I was advised to report the matter to the Divisional Commander which I did early the next morning.
No useful purpose was served by going there because according to the Commander the police did not go to my premises to search for arms and ammunition but were looking for the fugitive criminal “Fineman” who is not known to me.
What is certain is that I am all the poorer from the vanishing of my hard earned money and to add insult to injury, the law enforcement agency is showing no concern or interest in my predicament.
Yours faithfully,
Burley Burnett
Editor’s note
We are sending a copy of this letter to the Commissioner of Police (acting) Mr Henry Greene for any comments he may wish to make.
