Suspects flown to the city

Oct 03, 2012 News

Lethem arms cache…

Police at Lethem continue their hunt for a businessman who they believe could provide much needed information about the cache of arms recovered from a Tabatinga residence on Monday afternoon.
The businessman, whose wife is presently in custody, is believed to have fled to neighbouring Brazil after he was alerted about the police raid on his premises.
Police had detained his wife and another man who were at the residence when the weapons were found.

The weapons and ammunition which were transported to the city yesterday.

They were brought to the city in a Guyana Defence Force aircraft under tight security yesterday.
The cache of weapons and ammunition comprise four M-70 automatic rifles along with four magazines and 389 rounds 7.62×39 calibre ammunition; six M-16 rifles along with two magazines and 74 matching rounds; two shrapnel hand grenades; one Icon VHF radio set; one Icon hand-held radio set and one roll of camouflage material.
Sources in Lethem have informed this newspaper that the weapons which were dug up from a spot in the yard were tightly wrapped in plastic.
One source said that the man in custody has told investigators that the items belonged to another man whose call name was given as ‘Bora’.
He also claimed that the weapons were buried at the location three days ago.
Attorney-at-law Glen Hanoman, who is representing the man in custody, told this newspaper that his client was badly beaten by investigating ranks who forced him to sign a statement.
“I saw marks of violence (on him) and I asked (him) what happened. He told me that the police beat him. I asked him which police and he pointed to a Corporal who was nearby.”
Hanoman said that he reported his client’s allegations to another police officer who appeared to be in charge of the investigation, requesting that the man be taken for medical attention.
“The officer just stood there watching me as if he didn’t care. He wrote nothing down. Then he said that he would take appropriate action,” the attorney explained.
He noted that in this climate where the police are being seen in a bad light with regards to human rights, such as police brutality and unlawful killings, it is extremely surprising that they would allow another man to make such serious allegations against them.
“My client has told them that he knows nothing about the weapons since he is just a worker,” Hanoman stated.
Investigators will continue to interrogate the suspects with a view to ascertaining the real owner of the weapons, ammunition and other equipment.
Brazil has been a known source for illegal guns coming to Guyana.