$30M missing pontoon found ‘stashed’ up Mahaica Creek

May 29, 2012 News

– Three bridge staff still in custody

Searchers yesterday found a multi-million-dollar pontoon stashed miles up the Mahaica Creek, days after it was mysteriously removed from the Demerara Harbour Bridge.
A search team, working on information, had gone there on Sunday but saw no sign of it.
According to the bridge’s General Manager, Rawlston Adams, the pontoon, which is believed to worth some $30M, was found “abandoned” miles up the creek. It was tied up.
Four winches, worth over $2M, and a scow-end were missing.
“We did not find anyone there.”
Over the weekend, it was revealed that three staffers were detained after the pontoon, used mainly for maintenance works on the bridge, went missing. It is believed that the vessel may have disappeared between Wednesday and Thursday evening. It was discovered missing early Friday, hours before a major works was scheduled to start on Saturday to replace sections of the retractor span.
Following the discovery, reports were made to the police and Minister of Public Works, Robeson Benn. Three staffers were later detained.
According to Adams, early yesterday he returned to the Mahaica Creek area with a number of staffers and the police. Using a boat, a search was conducted along the creek before the pontoon was discovered tied up. It was flooded with water.
The General Manager disclosed that a pump had to be taken to the location for the water to be pumped out.
It is believed that a tug may have been used to steal the pontoon, a theory that remained puzzling for the police and the bridge authorities since the area where it was secured is a busy one.
Preparations are now being made to dismantle the pontoon and have it transported via the road back to the Harbour Bridge.
According to Adams, it is way more expensive to use a tug to take it back to the city, so the decision was made for the pontoon to be dismantled.
“Right now, we don’t know who took it. The police are still investigating the case and as far I know the three staffers are still in custody.”
Kaieteur News was told over the weekend that the authorities have the name of a city businessman, linked to the auto sales sector, and who may have advanced over $1.5M for it to be secretly removed and taken to the Mahaica Creek area.

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$30M missing pontoon found ‘stashed’ up Mahaica Creek

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