Cops carry out searches for suspects in Rohee robbery

As the police continue to look for suspects in the armed robbery committed at the home of PPP General Secretary Clement Rohee, several searches were conducted yesterday at different locations but investigators came up empty-handed.

A senior police official, when contacted for a comment, told Stabroek News that the searches were based on information gathered from the woman who was held on Monday. However, the source said several searches were carried out at the locations yesterday but investigators were unable to locate the suspects.

The robbery occurred around 11 am last Wednesday at Rohee’s Lot 6 – 7 Ixora Avenue, Eccles, East Bank Demerara home. It was carried out by three bandits, armed with guns and a knife, who assaulted two maids and carted off an undisclosed amount of cash and jewellery.

The getaway car was found parked on Croal Street, Georgetown hours after the incident.

The police had said in a statement that the bandits carted off a quantity of gold jewellery, several wristwatches and cash, having assaulted and duct-taped the hands and feet of Rohee’s two domestic workers, who were present at the time of the attack.

The police said the two women, ages 28 and 52 years old, were in the lower flat of the building, when the suspects, armed with handguns, entered through an open western door and demanded cash and jewellery. The women said they had none and were assaulted, bound and taken to the upper flat. The bandits then ransacked the rooms and escaped with the valuables in a waiting car, bearing registration number PRR 514.

Rohee, former minister of home affairs, had told reporters that he left home around 9.30am on Wednesday for work. He later received a call from a neighbour informing him of a police presence in front of his home.

Fingerprints were lifted from the crime scene and the police are still on the hunt for three other suspects, including a known character.

The police are said to be making progress in their investigations although Rohee refused to allow investigators full access to CCTV footage which captured the attack.