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Businessman blames bank employee for $1.3M robbery
Shadeer Hassan displays his withdrawal slip which facilitated his $1.3M withdrawal.
A West Bank Demerara cattle farmer strongly believes that a teller at the Republic Bank Vreed- en-Hoop Branch facilitated the robbery in which he was relieved of $1.3M in the city on Tuesday.
Shadeer Hassan, called ‘Bird Man’ was robbed outside the Bourda Market shortly after withdrawing the cash from the bank’s Camp Street Branch.
According to him, he was forced to transact his business with the bank’s Camp Street office after officials at Vreed-en-Hoop were reluctant to deal with him there.
Recalling the sequence of events that led to his robbery, Hassan said that since he resided on the West Bank of Demerara, he went to the bank’s Vreed-en-Hoop branch around 11:30 hours yesterday to make the withdrawal.
He said that a teller there took his withdrawal slip and told him to wait “in the corner”, which he did.
“He went and spoke to someone- I guess it was his superior. The person he spoke with then began making some telephone calls while I waited and waited,” Hassan recalled.
He said that he waited for about 30 minutes until the situation got overbearing before he began making vociferous enquiries.
“I enquired what the problem was and the teller said that he is waiting on a phone call,” the cattle farmer said.
Hassan’s account is held at the bank’s Camp Street Branch but yesterday was not the first time that he was making a withdrawal from the Vreed-en-Hoop Branch.
He believes that because he questioned the staff’s inefficiency they became annoyed and began treating him in an unprofessional manner.
“The supervisor asked me why I didn’t make the withdrawal in Georgetown. I told him that I live on the West Bank so I don’t see why I have to go to town to make a withdrawal. With that he said ‘If you can’t wait, then go to Camp Street and make your withdrawal’,” Hassan said.
Hassan became frustrated and decided to travel to the city with his wife and children in his car to transact his business.
At the bank’s Camp Street Branch, he was treated politely and one of the tellers even enquired from him about the problem he had experienced at Vreed-en-Hoop.
“I was given special attention at Camp Street and I eventually finished my business with the bank at around 14:30 hours.
Hassan then proceeded to the Bourda Market where he sat in his car on Orange Walk while his wife went shopping with his children.
He had placed the recently withdrawn cash in a black bag under his seat.
“All I hear is the car door open and I see this red skin man with a shades and a motorcycle helmet, pointing a gun at my head,” Hassan said.
“He said, ‘Pass the money, the $1.3 million you just draw’.”
Without any hesitation Hassan handed over the bag to the bandit who subsequently escaped on a motorcycle that was being ridden by an accomplice who had parked a short distance away.
The bandit’s words shocked Hassan who questioned, “How did he know the exact amount of money that I withdrew? This is a definite set up.”
“Why did they frustrate me and make me come to the city from Vreed-en-Hoop? If I had gotten my money over there (Vreed-en-Hoop) I would have gone home and left it home and then come to the city to do my shopping. You know how it is to withdraw money in town. These people (bandits) are like sharks,” Hassan lamented.
The devastated cattle farmer told this newspaper that the cash was to purchase a car as a Christmas and anniversary present for his wife.
“This thing ain’t make sense. My inside is numb. The teller at Vreed-en-Hoop created the situation for me to get rob. It is not easy. This is not the kind of money Santa Claus would bring for you,” Hassan said.
He stated that he first reported the matter to the Brickdam Police Station but was sent to Alberttown where a statement was taken from him.
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