GRPA president wounded after shot by elderly man

President of the Guyana Rice Producers’  Association, Leekha Rambrich, 49, of Bengal, Corentyne is a patient at the New Amsterdam Hospital nursing gunshot injuries to his right arm, shoulder and chest.

Police from the No 51 Station responded promptly and arrested the alleged  attacker, a 76-year-old man who is at present in custody. His unlicensed shotgun along with spent shells and three live cartridges were recovered.

Rambrich underwent sur-gery yesterday afternoon and some of the pellets were removed, his wife, Rebecca Rambrich  old Stabroek News last evening.

She said he was “doing well” but if his condition worsens he would be taken to the Georgetown Public Hos-pital.
Reports are that Rambrich had gone about two miles into the Bengal backdam around 10 am on his motorcycle to do “spot checks” on his rice land.

Sources said he and the elderly man from whom he was renting a portion of land were reportedly engaged in an argument during which the man allegedly fired two shots at him. His wife said he called her around 11.30 am but did not say anything and the phone was disconnected.

She called him back and he told her he was hurt and that she should send someone for him. She felt he had gotten into an accident with the
motorcycle.

Two of his workers drove down to pick him up and on their way out they called and told her to prepare to go to the hospital.
She said he was in a lot of pain but told her he was shot and she told him “relax, don’t say anything.” She is still not sure what transpired at the backdam.

According to the woman, he had been able to go to the backdam for the week because he was busy making a dryer to export rice to the Venezuelan market.