One brother released over telescopic rifle find

One of the two brothers who were held in connection with Tuesday’s discovery of two rifles one of which was fitted with a telescopic lens, at a Kitty house was yesterday released from police custody even as it is being maintained that the men had no knowledge of the weapons which were reportedly found in an adjoining yard.

Police had said in a press release that two .243 rifles, one a Winchester and the other a Remington, were found at about 14:20 hours at Railway Line, Kitty by ranks of Division ‘A’ Georgetown.

The Winchester rifle, the release added was fitted with a telescopic lens.

The source explained that the brothers, ages 20 and 24, moved into the Lot 31 address about three weeks ago.

This newspaper was told that late Monday night, a friend of the 20-year-old came knocking at the door. The friend and his relatives apparently had a misunderstanding and he went to the Kitty address to seek lodging for the night.

However the following morning around 7:30 the 20-year-old went to a relative and alleged that his friend had stolen some gold jewellery he had left on his bed. The young man who is vendor had explained to his relative that he had gone to take a bath and on his return, the items were missing. The other brother, who was also in the house at the time, denied knowledge of the items. The source said that the 20-year-old called the police who after turning up took both of the men to the police station for questioning.

It was while the 20-year-old was walking out of the station that the friend told investigators that there were two guns hidden in the yard of the Kitty address. According to the source, the police turned up at the house with the 20-year old and later ranks kicked down a fence at the back of his yard. The source made it clear that no gun was found at the Lot 31 address but rather in the yard at the back where a house is being constructed. The owner of that property is reportedly in the interior.

Stabroek News was told that after the police kicked down the fence, ranks picked up the weapons which were in the other yard and placed them on a garbage heap in the brothers’ yard.

The source said that police searched the men’s home sometime later but found nothing. No ammunition was found.  The brother who was released appeared to be calm but expressed concern for the safety of his younger sibling.

Stabroek News was unable to ascertain if the friend is being held in connection with the discovery.

The source expressed belief that the weapons belonged to the friend and in order to get himself out of trouble he implicated the brothers.

When this newspaper had visited the area residents expressed shock at the discovery and the arrest of the men.