The six suspects who have been held in connection with the mysterious abduction and murder of Corentyne businessman, Fazal Hoosein, 44, of Number 69 Village were released on $150,000 station bail each on Wednesday.
This newspaper understands that while investigations have been ongoing, police could not keep the men incarcerated for more than the 72-hour period. So far no charges have instituted. The Surinamese owner and captain of the ‘backtrack’ boat who were held in their country have also been released.
Hoosein and the other passengers were returning from the neighbouring country aboard the “Dutch boat” around 5:30 pm last Wednesday when the five masked gunmen attacked.
The owner and captain of the boat were arrested at the port shortly after Hoosein’s body was found around 2 pm on Thursday last. Reports are that they have also recommenced their normal ‘backtrack” operations.
After the pirates fired several rounds in the air everyone went down in the boat. The pirates then “jumped into the boat and lifted the caps of some of the passengers and looked at their faces” until they recognized Hoosein.
With guns pointing at him they ordered him, while speaking “in Dutch” to get into their boat. The men then demanded everyone hand over their cell phones before removing the engine lead and escaping towards Suriname in the boat which was “very fast.”
Following the discovery of the body three of the suspects were apprehended by local police while one was taken into custody on Saturday night and two others on Sunday night. The officers are also pleased with the close collaboration with their Surinamese counterparts.
A post-mortem examination conducted on Saturday indicated that Hoosein, was thrown overboard alive by his attackers. Passengers aboard the boat had related that the men did not take any cargo that was in their possession but directed their attention to Hoosein.
