Mystery caller claims to have missing woman

Dec 13, 2010 News

Where is Barbita Sarjou?

– says family

As the mystery surrounding the whereabouts of 28-year-old Barbita Sarjou remains unsolved, her close relatives are claiming that they have been receiving phone calls from a man who claims to have the missing woman.
Sarjou, of Timehri, East Bank Demerara, disappeared on November 4, reportedly after telling her colleagues that she was going to visit her son and husband before going to watch the Diwali motorcade.
She has not been seen since, and both of her mobile phones have been turned off.
A sister of the missing woman told Kaieteur News yesterday that the calls began about three weeks ago, and that the person, a man, has been contacting the sister on her mobile phone.
She said that the most recent call was made on Saturday night.
According to the sister, the caller appears to believe that she is Barbita’s mother. She said that the man claimed that his name is ‘Ricky’, and said that he owns two minibuses which operate on the East Bank of Demerara.
She alleged that the caller, who claimed to have Barbita, would describe himself as her “son-in-law.” However, the sister said that whenever she asked to speak with Barbita, the caller always said that she was sleeping.
The sister claimed that about a week ago, the man suggested that she meet him near the Diamond New Scheme Access Road, so that he could take her to the house where Barbita was staying.

Missing: Barbita Sarjou

“But I went and no one showed up, When I call, he say that he working on the bus.”
She told Kaieteur News that she went to the Brickdam Police Station and provided the police with the information about ‘Ricky’ and also with the caller’s mobile phone number.
According to her, police ranks then arrested two brothers who operate minibuses in Diamond. She alleged that the brothers first told the detectives that ‘Ricky’ was out of the country but later denied knowing anyone by that name.
They were subsequently released.
She said that the mystery caller subsequently contacted her on Saturday night on a different mobile phone.
The sister expressed fear that her sister is the victim of foul play and the persons responsible for her fate were taunting the family.
Contacted yesterday, a police official said that he was unaware of any family members informing investigators about the calls.
The official said that Barbita’s husband was the only person who was detained during the early stages of the investigation. According to the official, a close male friend of the missing woman was also questioned, but he denied any knowledge about her whereabouts.
Barbita’s mother, Champa Seonarine, said that on November 4, her daughter, who is employed at BK International, informed relatives that she was going to watch the Diwali motorcade after leaving work.
According to reports, she left work in the company of friends, some of whom she told that she was going to her husband’s home in Kitty. From there, she would pick up the couple’s four-year-old son and go to the motorcade with her husband.
The couple has been living separately for some time and the husband reportedly has custody of the son.
Ms. Seonarine said that Barbita had planned to return home by 21:00 hrs, but never did. Family members attempted to contact her on her two mobile phones but they appeared to have been turned off.
The woman said that she has not seen or heard from her daughter since.
Ms. Seonarine said that she informed ranks at the Timehri Police Station about her daughter’s disappearance. She alleged that she then went to the Kitty Police Station to make another report.
The woman and other family members are of the view that police investigators are not doing enough to locate Barbita.
She said that some ranks suggested that her daughter had left the country. However, Ms. Seonarine said Barbita left her passport, wedding ring, engagement ring, and her untouched salary in her room.