Three armed bandits pounced on a Bush Lot Farm, Corentyne family yesterday morning and stole more than $600,000 in US and local currencies, as well as a quantity of jewellery.
Kowsilla Fredrick, 39, of Lot 51 Bush Lot Farm, Corentyne, who resides with her two brothers, Devindra Fredrick, 39 and Keshwar Fredrick, 44, as well as with her niece, aged nine, told Sunday Stabroek that the men invaded her home around 2.45 am.
She related that she was upstairs when her brother, Devindra, alerted her that he had heard a sound coming from outside. “He tell me put on the light but I heard someone banging on the window downstairs and then they come in and point the gun on me,” she stated.
She explained that three men, one armed with a gun, another with a cutlass and the other with a knife, entered her house and told her to go into the living room, where they then demanded cash and jewellery from her.
“At that time, me had $10,000 in me bag so I give it to them and them didn’t want that; they throw the bag away [and said] that them want more”, the woman related.
She said they then ordered Devindra out of his room and dealt him several lashes to his back, while demanding cash.
The woman noted that the men then turned to her and dealt her a lash to her back. One of the perpetrators then placed the gun on her nine-year-old niece and demanded that the family hand over all of the cash they had at home.
“Then I go in and whatever I have I gave them,” she said.
The men carted off US$2,400, $150,000 in local currency, a quantity of jewellery, a brand new power saw, worth US$100 and several other items.
She noted that the men, who were all masked, spent approximately 10 minutes in the house.
“This story na look real”
With regard to the investigation, the family is dissatisfied with the way in which the police have been handling the matter. According to Kowsilla, the police appeared skeptical about their recount of the events, and at one point, a rank outright called her niece a liar.
The woman noted that the police behaved quite harshly toward her niece when they arrived on the scene. The girl, while being questioned by a female rank, reportedly began to cry.
“She was harsh with her, she tell her, “you telling lies and can’t be like this,”” the annoyed woman noted.
The family also related that the police left and returned a second time to carry out a search on their house yesterday morning.
“They carry my brother upstairs and search we barrel and some pants were on the line; them search it all,” she said.
However, the police did not inform the family of the purpose of the search, which has left them puzzled.
“Me ask them why them search and them na talk and them say this story na look real,” the woman said a “plain clothes” female rank reportedly stated.
Additionally, Kowsilla related that the female rank began to question her as to why she had such a large amount of cash in her possession.
She recalled that she told the rank that her family from overseas had sent the money to purchase a ticket for her to travel. She further noted that police requested to see receipts from the transaction, and after searching, she found two receipts and gave it to them.
There have not yet been any arrests and police are reportedly continuing the investigation.
