Court extends detention of suspects in Pomeroon murders

As they await legal advice on the investigation of the murders of Pomeroon farmers Ambrose Baharally and Martin Godette, the police were yesterday granted an extension by a court to keep the three suspects in custody until Monday.

Divisional Commander Khali Pareshram yesterday confirmed to Stabroek News that the case file was sent to the Chambers of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for legal advice.

Pareshram said that as they await recommendations on the way forward with the matter, the three suspects, including the wife of Baharally, remained in custody. He explained that the police applied to the High Court for more time to further detain the suspects after their initial detention period had expired and they were granted three more days, which expires on Monday.

Baharally, 28, of Grant Stelling, Hope Lower Pomeroon, and Godette, 23, of Friendship Canal, Lower Pomeroon were discovered lying motionless with gunshot wounds to their heads around 3 pm on Sunday at Baharally’s residence.

They were later taken to the Charity Hospital, where they were pronounced dead on arrival.

The police have said that a preliminary investigation revealed that the victims were seen conversing with two suspects and shortly after two loud explosions were heard and the suspects were seen fleeing the scene in a boat.

On Tuesday, investigators were led to an area where they discovered an arms cache.

In a press release, the police had said that as a result of questioning one of the suspects took investigators to location where a bag was found with a 9 mm pistol, a .38 revolver, 16 live cartridges, 21 live .38 rounds, 19 live 9 mm rounds, six live .32 rounds, two 9 mm spent shells and 51.5 grammes of cannabis.

The bag with the items is believed to have been owned by Baharally since they were found in an abandoned yard some 40 feet away from his home.

The motive for the killings remains unclear but from all indications it seems as if the dead men knew their killers.

However, Stabroek News was told that the incident might have been drug related and a source from the Customs Anti-Narcotic Unit (CANU) confirmed that the agency was investigating to determine whether the killings are linked to the January 2nd cocaine bust at Pomeroon, where 11 kilogrammes of cocaine were found during a raid.