Body in canal near ‘Island’ bar identified as Grove painter

The body of a man clad in a pair of blue jeans and a beige t-shirt that was discovered on Monday December 19 in the canal at Prospect, East Bank Demerara (EBD) in front a popular drinking bar called the ‘Island’, has been identified as 55-year-old Zokho Persaud Premraj of 102 Grove Post Office Street, EBD.

According the dead man’s wife, Paro Ramjohn, Premraj worked as a painter with her nephew Richie Ramjohn at Parfait Harmonie Housing Scheme and the last time she saw him alive was when he left for work around 7 am on Saturday December 17.

She said when he did not return home she became worried and started searching for him. She said she made a report at the Grove Police Station where she was advised to visit Kaieteur News to place a missing person’s advertisement in the newspaper.

The grieving woman related that she visited the offices of the said newspaper but was told that the ad would cost $2,700. “…But me nah had none money so me tell she me only got $160 and me gone come back another day but me neva went back,” she related.

She said that her husband drank heavily and had high blood pressure, which was the cause of his death.

Ramjohn said that on Saturday night her nephew called her and told her that Premraj had been drinking and he placed him in a bus and told the conductor to drop him home. However, the man disembarked the minibus at the Island where he consumed more alcohol.

Premraj leaves to mourn his wife and five children aged 6 to 19 years old.

The body was identified on Friday by the dead man’s brother and was cremated yesterday at the Good Hope Crematorium.