2 caught in high drama M’cony kidnapping

Sep 10, 2009 News

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– police rescue victims, hunt three more suspects

By Dale Andrews and Leonard Gildharie

An early morning drama near the Abary River, West Berbice yesterday ended with the spectacular rescue of a prominent Mahaicony rice farmer and a pump attendant and the capture of two kidnappers.
This time it was the swift response of the police backed up by their colleagues from the Guyana Defence Force that led to the success.
The kidnappers had demanded $12M for the release of Parsram Ramnarace, a rice farmer of Novar, Mahaicony, who was held hostage on his rice field at Letter ‘T’ Estate, Mahaicony along with his labourer, Patrick Skeete.
The two suspects, 49-year-old Roger Persaud, who has one arm and Suresh Hardowar, are both of Haslington on the East Coast of Demerara.
Residents indicated yesterday that at least one of the kidnappers was known to the kidnapped rice farmer, since he was seen visiting his home up to last Monday.
“Dem boy know he, de one hand man. He de wukkin estate with dem. Up to Monday he been in de man yard,” one resident said.
Three other men managed to escape as the police swooped down in the area where the victims were being held.
Reports reaching this newspaper stated that the kidnappers had snatched Skeete, who was guarding two pumps in a guard hut in the rice field up the Abary Creek, some six miles from the main Mahaica Public Road, at around 03: 00 hours.
They tied him up and waited, knowing that Ramnarace would arrive shortly after daybreak.
Police Commissioner Henry Greene told the media yesterday that the men attacked Ramnarace and after taking away $20,000, they demanded a couple million dollars from him.
“He said ‘look, I don’t have any money and they decided to call his brother. They called his brother and demanded $12M for the release of the men,” the Commissioner informed.
He said that having received a report, the police responded quickly with ranks from the East Coast of Demerara and CID Headquarters along with assistance from the Guyana Defence Force with its helicopter.
“We were able to recover initially, Parsram Ramnarace, who was tied up along with both men who were near to the hut which is at the back of Letter ‘T’ Estate,” Greene said.
Speaking with this newspaper shortly after he was rescued, Ramnarace recalled that he arrived at the site at around 07:30 hours and was a bit surprised when he did not see Skeete.
He also found it strange that the camp door was closed and as he got closer to the pumps, he saw the shadows of two men behind a parked tractor.
He said that the two men along with three others who had emerged from their hiding place confronted him.
“We get some steel spade wah we does dig with. Dem come round me and start lash me, dey buss me head and me fall down. Dem blindfold me and tie me hands behind me back and after dat dey beat me, oh God! All me face dem buss. Dem drag me so, me can’t walk and me nah know wah happen after,” Ramnarace related.
Earlier when this newspaper arrived at the mouth of the Abary River, several armed policemen in plainclothes had secluded themselves in strategic areas to intercept any attempt to escape by the kidnappers who were being pursued by other ranks in the Abary backlands.
Divisional Commander, Balram Persaud was on the ground at the mouth of the Abary River when the ranks intercepted a boat that emerged from the backlands with three men inside.
So intense were the police to apprehend the kidnappers that they ordered the occupants of the boat to stop.
However, apparently the men did not hear and continued to speed towards the Atlantic Ocean, forcing the police to discharge a few rounds.
The men hurriedly slowed down and turned back with their hands in the air at the command of the police.
It turned out that the men were transporting fuel and were oblivious to what was taking place in the area.
In an invited comment at the scene, Commander Persaud related that the police responded and after rescuing Ramnarace and capturing the two kidnappers, they found Skeete about 100 yards away.
“We were able to recover a shotgun. Rapid response is one of the things we use effectively in ‘C’ Division. The response was there and we were successful,” Persaud said.
He said that the ranks also recovered a shotgun which is believed to be that of slain Letter ‘T’ Estate Manager, Munsehwar Paragass, 31 who was killed in January last year.
Paragass was shot dead when he emerged from his house after he was called out by his name, by men with whom he might have been acquainted.
His shotgun was stolen during that incident.
Both Commissioner Greene and Commander Persaud were loud in their praise for the ranks who were involved in the rescue.
“I would commend the ranks on the East Coast particularly, who moved very swiftly, got themselves together and were able to move in and were able to arrest these persons. Certainly the Joint Services concept is working well.
The whole response has done well for the image of the force,” the Commissioner told members of the media yesterday.
“We’re still on the hunt for others and I’m certain that we will be successful,” assured Commander Persaud.
Residents were also grateful to the Joint Services since they are strongly of the view that had they not moved in as quickly as they did, the kidnappers would have killed their victims since they were known to them.

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