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‘FineMan’,‘Skinny’ killings…Relatives of victims of the Bartica slaughter vindicated

Aug 31, 2008 News

“God has done it for us!”

The killing of Guyana’s most wanted fugitive, Rondel ‘Fine Man’ Rawlins, and his cohort, Jermaine ‘Skinny’ Charles, has brought some amount of relief to the relatives of those killed in the Bartica slaughter.
The police had sated that Rawlins, who has been a fugitive of the law since 2003, and his gang were responsible for the February 17 slaughter in Bartica, which left three police ranks and nine civilians dead. Those killed were Edwin Gilkes, Dexter Adrian, Irving Ferreira, Zaheer Zakir, Shane Fredricks, Ron Osbourne, Deonarine Singh, Ronald Gomes, Ashraf Ali, Abdool Yasin, Errol Thomas and Baldeo Singh.
Yesterday, the mother of police constable Shane Fredricks said she can now breathe a sigh of relief.
Norma Fredricks told Kaieteur News that she believes that God has done His work.
According to Fredricks, she was at work when she received a call from someone who informed her that the notorious bandits had been killed. She said her immediate reaction was “Thank God!”
“Nothing can bring my son back, nothing can replace a father for my grandson, but at least seeing him (Fine Man) dead has brought some sort of justice,” Fredricks said.
“I have a hole in my heart for my son. I know how it feels to lose a son, but what about those children at Lusignan? I can only imagine how their families felt…God has done it for us!”
Fredricks lauded the efforts of the Guyana Police Force, but said there is still work to be done.
Similar sentiments were expressed by Poonawatti Persaud, wife of Shane Fredricks.
“We all know that there are many more “fine Man” out there. Yes, we can feel a little relief, but there are others out there who may want to continue from where he left off.”
For the Yassin family, of Better Hope East Coast Demerara, the death of Guyana’s most wanted man has not done much. That family lost their son, Abdool Yassin, who was the main bread winner.
Halema Yassin, the mother of Abdool Yassin, noted that while Rawlins’s death has brought relief, it cannot  bring back her son.
“His death doesn’t change much, because there are many others out there,” Mrs. Yassin said.
She, however, said it is her hope that Guyana does not see a recurrence of the Bartica and Lusignan massacres.
Also speaking to this newspaper yesterday was Juliet Balkarran, the wife of Ashraf Ally Khan.
She, too, said that she feels some amount of justice was served to her family.
“I am happy, because it was frustrating. Every time the police hold somebody, they keep saying “Fine Man get away. But finally justice is served,” Balkarran said.
Meanwhile, the families of those killed in Lusignan have also since expressed similar sentiments regarding the killing of Guyana’s most wanted and his cohorts.
On Thursday last, Rawlings, Charles and another man were killed during a confrontation with members of the Joint Services on the Soesdyke/Linden Highway.

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