Bandits
cart off $9M from overseas-based Guyanese
- Probe
launched to investigate
allegations
of poor police response
An overseas-based Guyanese family and
their relatives were robbed of more than $9M in
cash and jewellery during a daring robbery at
School Street , Betsy Ground in East Canje .
And once again the police are being criticised
for their slow response.
The incident occurred around 03:20hrs yesterday
morning while the family was still up enjoying a
few drinks. At the time there were about 22
persons in the home, the majority being children.
Kaieteur News understands that three bandits
entered the house and asked for “the white lady
and the white girl.” A source said that the one
of the visitors, 50-year-old Dhanmat Singh, hid
herself in a room.
The bandits then grabbed her daughter Parbattie
and threw her on to a mattress and threatened to
rape her. This forced the family to cooperate with
the bandits.
Dhanmat Singh said the family returned to
Guyana to renovate her home.
She reported being robbed of Can$10,000, some
of which had been brought for other persons. She
also lost about $40,000 in jewellery.
The woman claimed that she was beaten in the
head with a gun butt and lashed behind her head
with a cutlass. Her husband, 54-year-old Ramjeet
Singh, and their 31-year-old daughter, Parbattie
Singh, both said that they suffered the most at
the hands of the bandits.
A tearful Parbattie said that she and her
father were manhandled by the bandits for close to
two hours.
She recalled that the bandits entered the yard
by breaking out a portion of the fence.
They then fired a round which hit the window
and tried to force their way into the house. A
police press release stated that the victims
locked themselves in the building and were forced
to open the door after threats were made to them.
Parbattie said that she counted seven bandits
but another relative said there were nine of them.
Parbattie was relieved of Can$5,000, jewellery
worth Can$60,000 and G$600.
Ramjeet Singh said he lost his wallet, watch, a
gold chain, Can$300 and G$8,000.
According to the family, all their travel
documents were stolen. Also suffering from the
ordeal were Parbattie's four children —
seven-year-old Stephen, five-year-old Melanie,
three-year-old Melissa and 18-month-old Vanessa,
who all reside in Canada . The family claimed that
they suspected that something was brewing when
they saw some masked men near the home around
23:00hrs.
Some of the men were
armed with guns while the
others had cutlasses.
They told this newspaper that they called for
police even before the robbery had taken place.
According to the victims, a call made to the
Reliance Police Station which went unanswered.
Another call was made to the Albion Police Station
and ranks there told the family to contact the
central Police Station at New Amsterdam .
This was done and the family was assured that
an armed patrol was on its way. But they never
arrived until after the robbery.
The family believes that the robbery had been
well planned. According to Dhanmat Singh, the
family had migrated to Canada about 11years ago,
and this may be their last trip back home.
Police said that five persons have been
arrested and are in custody as investigations
continue.
Meanwhile, an internal investigation has been
launched into the slow response of the police.
A statement from Eve Leary said: “The
Guyana Police Force wishes to express its concern
over this incident in the light of the reported
poor response by police ranks. As a consequence,
the Assistant Commissioner in charge of the Office
of Professional Responsibility(OPR) has been
tasked to investigate and report in relation to
police action taken prior to and after the
robbery.”
Wednesday,
May 17, 2006