Third man charged with murdering Mahaica farmer during robbery

A third man was yesterday charged with the murder of rice farmer Hardat Kissoon, who was shot dead and robbed of a bag of money aboard a minibus in June.

The allegation against Paul James, 34, stated that on June 1, in the vicinity of the University of Guyana (UG) Road, he murdered Kissoon during the course of a robbery.

       Paul James
Paul James

James, a miner, was not required to plead to the indictable charge.

He was subsequently remanded to jail until October 26, when the case will be heard at the Sparendaam Magistrate’s Court.

Kirk Clarke
Kirk Clarke

Two other men have been charged with Kissoon’s murder. Sherwin Trotman, 32, of Lot 45 Section D, South Turkeyen, was charged in July; while Kirk Clarke, 30, a labourer, of Charles-town, was charged in August. Both men are prisoners on remand.

Kissoon, called ‘Buju,’ of Cane Grove, Mahaica, died instantly on June 1 after being shot once in the chest by a gunman who escaped on a motorcycle, which was parked on the UG access road. At the time of the attack, he was returning from a city bank, where he had cashed a cheque for over half a million dollars.

Hardat Kissoon
Hardat Kissoon

The cash was snatched and he was shot. He was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital but was pronounced dead on arrival.

According to reports, from all indications, the gunman followed Kissoon to the Route 44 bus park after he left the bank. When the father of three boarded the minibus to travel back to his Cane Grove, Mahaica home, the gunman jumped in and ensured that he sat close to him.

During the journey, the gunman was constantly on this cellphone. As the bus was proceeding along the East Coast Highway, the gunman requested to be put off at UG road, where he carried out the attack.