-ballistic tests draw a blank
The police last night issued wanted bulletins for six men in connection with last Wednesday’s shock attacks in the city including the two who had previously escaped from custody after being held over the Ministry of Health fire.
The police are seeking Colin Jones called ‘Bunny’, whose last known address was Lot 3 West La Penitence; Kurt Thierens called ‘Glasses’ whose last known addresses were 102 Buxton Middle Walk, E.C.D, National Avenue Triumph, E.C.D and 219 Residential Area Yarrowkabra, Soesdyke Linden Highway; Shawn Benn who last lived at 53 Princes Street, Lodge; Charles Clarke called ‘Pumpkin’ or ‘Perkin’ last known address 26 Sussex and Saffon streets, Charlestown; Trevor Archer last known address Yarrowkabra, Soesdyke/Linden Highway and Keith Ferrier called `General’ whose last known address was 1689 National Avenue, South Ruimveldt. Jones and Thierens had previously escaped from the police.
Police are asking anyone who has information on the men to call telephone numbers 225-6411, 225-2700, 226-7065, 225-2227, 226-6978, 225-8196, 223-8940, 225-6941 or 911 or the nearest police station.
Investigators say further progress in the investigations could come if authorities in the US could track down the alleged mastermind who the government said is linked to the recent attacks as well as the Ministry of Health fire. The mastermind resides in the US and has been linked to the incidents through a telephone number.
Richard Bakewell, the Public Diplomacy Officer at the US Embassy here confirmed to Stabroek News yesterday that requests where made on two occasions by the government through the Home Affairs Ministry for assistance.
He explained that requests were made sometime after the Health Ministry fire and then again on November 4, the day of the hijacking and mayhem in the city, to the US Department of Justice for assistance in investigating a telephone number. Bakewell stated that when substantive information has been obtained, contact will be made with Ministry.
This is all the information about the requests that the official would release to this newspaper later stressing that they have acknowledged both requests.
President Bharrat Jagdeo had told reporters during a press conference last Thursday that the criminals not only have local masterminds but there is also a “foreign terrorist mastermind” who lives in the US who was also implicated in the ministry fire through calls made to that person’s number by one of the persons implicated in the fire before and after the incident.
According to the head of state, it was not the first time this number has surfaced in connection with local criminal acts since it had showed up in the past in connection with the Buxton criminals. He said government had approached the US for assistance in finding this person, “because obviously this person has been masterminding terrorist acts in Guyana.”
Meanwhile, contacted yesterday, crime chief Seelall Persaud said that the police have made no arrest so far and investigations are ongoing.
He stated though that when the time is appropriate, more information on the investigation will be released.
Police Commissioner Henry Greene while dubbing the attacks as “terrorist acts” had revealed to the media that Thierens and Jones were positively identified as participants.
Greene had said too that after their escape from the Providence Police Station lock-ups the duo was reportedly sighted in Suriname but the series of attacks proved otherwise.
No matches
Yesterday police said that ballistic examinations conducted on the spent 7.62 x 39 and 12-gauge shotgun shells recovered by the police have been completed but do not match any other crime scene.
The shells were uplifted from the scenes that the gunmen had attacked.
The results of the ballistic examination of the 7.62 x 39 shells revealed that three firearms were used, while the examination of the 12-gauge shells revealed that one firearm was used, the police said before adding that the analysis of the spent shells did not link them to any other crime scene.
The campaign by the criminals started just after Wednesday midnight and ended just after 0300 hrs the following day. From police reports, the gang comprised at least ten persons, including eight dressed in police attire.
According to the sequence provided by the police, around 00:15 hours armed men carjacked the three miners, one of whom-Wodette Roberts called ‘Buckman’- died, on the Linden/Soesdyke Highway. The men were handcuffed and duct-taped. Two managed to escape, with one reportedly running all the way to the Kuru Kururu Police Station where he recounted the incident to ranks. Some of the carjackers apparently journeyed to the city in the stolen vehicle.
Around 02:30 hours, three men dressed in dark clothing, armed with guns and wearing toques, went to the West La Penitence home of Clayton Westford, one of the men charged with the Health Ministry fire. He had been released on bail. The man’s mother Pamela opened the door after the men claimed to be police ranks. They then handcuffed him before taking him away, ending up in the La Penitence Cemetery, according to reports.
There, the man was assaulted after claims that “he is talking too much and giving evidence against them.” Westford managed to escape and the men discharged rounds at him but he was not injured. Attacks were later launched at the stations, court house and school.
Around 7 am the following day, the burnt Tacoma pickup that was hijacked on the Linden/Soesdyke Highway was discovered at Millie’s Hideout, on the outskirts of Linden, with ammo and explosive material. It was later positively identified by its owner.
Questions have also been raised as to why the vehicle would have been returned to that area after being used to carry out the attacks.
