Workers alleged to be attached to the Ministry of Housing beat an Industry woman and her husband yesterday when they protested over the pulling down of their structure on a disputed plot of land at Crown Dam Industry.
29-year-old Bonita Coonjah called Amanda suffered injuries to her head and other parts of her body after a beating from the men who turned up to pull down the fence and posts – the beginnings of the couple’s house – in a vehicle with the Housing Ministry’s logo on it. Housing Ministry officials could not be reached yesterday afternoon for comment.
Coonjah’s husband Bryan Gopaul who was also beaten, was taken by the men who called the police to the Turkeyen police station, Coonjah’s mother Beatrice Coonjah related to Stabroek News at the Georgetown Public Hospital where she awaited reports on her daughter’s condition.
The woman said that she lives “a good way down the road” from her daughter and son-in-law and ran to the scene when a friend called to tell her what was happening. She related that when she reached the area she saw one of the men punching her daughter in the face and he had something that looked like a bunch of keys in his hand; which may have caused the injuries to her head. Gopaul was at the time under attack by the other two men. She also said that persons at the scene referred to one of the men as “Laird.”
She said that the couple’s neighbour told her that her son-in-law had gone over to the lot when the men arrived and tried to stop them from pulling down his fence once again (they had pulled it down two weeks ago and apparently warned not to build on the land). A scuffle ensued and the men began to beat Gopaul at which time his wife entered the fray in an attempt to save her husband only to suffer a beating herself. The woman said that the men had weapons including a crowbar and a cutlass although she cannot remember clearly who had what.
Bonita Coonjah’s father Gobinram Coonjah told this newspaper that he was in his minibus heading to the UG bus park when he received a call about the matter. He returned to Industry only to find his daughter lying at the side of the road with her mother hovering over her. He said that he drove to the Turkeyen police station with his daughter where he was given a medical form and told to take her to the hospital.
He said that instead he drove straight to the Ministry of Housing and requested to see the Minister; the guard however refused his request. Luckily for him he said Minister Harrynarine Nawbatt was leaving the office and he approached him requesting that the Minister look at his daughter’s injuries. The man said that Nawbatt complied and he asked to see him on Monday to discuss the matter.
Gobinram also said that the Minister told him that he has no knowledge of orders issued to pull down his son-in-law’s structure.
Bonita Coonjah’s parents also told this newspaper that there is a matter in the courts on the disputed land. The elder couple said too that although they are not aware of the land’s ownership, their son-in-law’s family has occupied the land for a very long time.
According to Gobinram his daughter’s father-in-law had reared honey bees on the land which has been used by them since GUYSUCO give up the land.
Meanwhile neither Gobinram nor his wife was allowed to see their daughter after she was wheeled to the X-ray department, according to him, because they were seen talking to members of the media who were attempting to get a picture of the injured woman. Although the man was heard telling the hospital official blocking the entrance to the X-ray department “I is she father not the media, I ain’t got no camera,” he was refused entry.
When the mother approached the official she was overheard saying that “I have my orders to work with.” (Melissa Charles)
