Coast guards dumped victim overboard

Aug 22, 2009 News

…had discussed his fate

Amidst growing fears that 23-year-old Dweive Kant Ramdass of Bartica, the victim of the brazen river robbery is dead, police sources are reporting that one of the three GDF Coast Guard ranks has confessed that the man was strangled before he was thrown overboard.

The three Coast Guard ranks being escorted from the Parika Police Station

Yesterday, a day after the brazen multi-million dollar robbery and the disappearance of the victim, well-placed sources say the police have collected signed statements, and the three Coast Guard ranks in custody have confessed to dumping the man overboard in the Caiman Hole area, Essequibo River.

When questioned separately, one of the arrested Coast Guard ranks allegedly told investigators that the victim jumped overboard and swam away. But another said they were sure that they would get off if they got rid of the victim and as such they allegedly threw the man overboard and waited for approximately six minutes to ensure that he went under and did not resurface.

One of the ranks (a GDF Lance Corporal) in custody, took police and a search party to the area where he alleges that the man was dumped, but up to press time a body had not been found in the murky waters of Caiman Hole.

Relatives also combed the area for the missing man.

Ramdass’ sister Simone told this newspaper that they used hooks, which were attached to long pieces of string with the hope of stumbling unto his body.

They even engaged the services of a diver who reported that the area was very deep and the current very strong.

She believes that Ramdass’ body may have been swept away by the current or the soldiers may be lying about the location.

However, the family will resume the search today.

One report is that on Thursday afternoon, the victim was taken off a passenger boat by the ranks under the pretext of a routine search for narcotics, after it was realised that his luggage was actually cash amounting to more than $17M.

Missing, Dweive Kant Ramdass

While this publication was outside the Parika Police Station yesterday, one of the men in custody was heard saying, “we tek a chance with the money but we ain’t kill he.”

Minutes later while standing in the vicinity of the Parika Stelling, the three men were seen being loaded into a police patrol vehicle and while they were not in hand cuffs, their feet were shackled and they were under armed police guard.

The men were nabbed at Parika, East Bank Essequibo, after police recovered one-third of the stolen money.

At the time of the robbery on Thursday, Ramdass was heading to Bartica with $17M to transact business for his employer.

Ramdass along with several other passengers were in a speedboat which had just left the Parika Stelling when they were intercepted by the ranks that were in a green GDF Coast Guard vessel.

The men are reported to have said that they executed the search following an anonymous tip that Ramdass had cocaine in his possession.

But a source close to the investigation told Kaieteur News that the ranks knew exactly who they were going to and that no cocaine was in the bag.

Eyewitnesses recalled seeing the army ranks arguing with Ramdass at the Parika Stelling.

According to one eyewitness, when the speedboat was forced back to the stelling, the Coast Guard ranks, who were all carrying rifles, took Ramdass out and questioned him about the contents of the box he was carrying and one of them was seen peering into the box with the cash.

They then ordered Ramdass into their boat and sped away.

Vendors in the Parika Market environs yesterday expressed fear and totally diminished trust in GDF Coast Guard ranks, who they opined are knowledgeable of robberies and killings on the Essequibo River.

Questioning who will institute the laws and serve and protect the people if they cannot trust lawmen, they said that the ranks frequented the Parika area.