Van Beek shooting suspect still in custody

The man, who was taken into police custody after Judicial Manager of CLICO, Maria van Beek was shot last Thursday, remained in custody up to press time last evening and according to police sources he is “cooperating” with investigators.

“We are working, we are working,” was one of the investigators’ response when asked about the investigation into the shooting on Lombard Street, which police described as an attempt on van Beek’s life.

The investigator said that there has been no new development in the case but the lawmen are working feverishly around the clock.

Police on Saturday had said that while investigators had received information about the colour of the motor cycle, that was used to transport the shooter and his accomplice, it was a lead that they were working on.

In the light of the incident, security has been beefed up to ensure the safety of van Beek, her relatives and the employees of the ailing insurance company.

Head of the Presidential Secretariat Dr Roger Luncheon had recently urged the media to be patient with the police and give them the space and the time to conduct their investigations.

Van Beek was stuck in a long line of traffic at the corner of Lombard and Leopold streets during a heavy downpour around 8:15 am when the gunman walked up to her vehicle and fired a single shot through the driver’s side window.

He jumped on the waiting motor cycle parked on Leopold Street and fled.

Following the report of the shooting police said their response was immediate and several patrols were dispatched in the city, while roadblocks were set up at the Demerara Harbour Bridge and on the lower East Coast in a bid to apprehend the perpetrators.