Latest update September 6th, 2024 12:59 AM
Mar 05, 2013 News
– Events Coordinator’s cunning, results in patron violence and vandalism
What would have otherwise been an exciting show was brought to an abrupt halt Sunday night, as alleged intense cunning and crookery on the part of Events Coordinator; Vijay Panday, resulted in violence and vandalism from patrons who attended the ‘Destra Berbice Inferno’ at the New Amsterdam Technical Institute Ground.
This event was promoted by the overseas-based Slaughter House Promotions headed by US based Guyanese Keith Mordell, the Chief Executive Officer.
Investigations revealed that the Events Coordinator who was kicked out of the Fire Fest Productions for alleged dishonesty, was not being honest with the promoter and “lying through his teeth” about paying persons to properly promote the show.
The CEO said that every entity and individual that was supposed to be paid by Panday with monies he (Keith Mordell) made available to aid in the promotion of the show, was either part paid or not paid at all, even though his Events Coordinator, Vijay Panday informed him, that everyone was paid in full, with only two persons having minor balances.
On Sunday night, the artiste, Rick Ramoutar was dragged from the stage by his manager in full view of the public because he was not paid a dime until then. What happened after was quite dramatic, and fuelled the crowd’s anger.
The members of the Mingles Sound Machine Band then systematically turned off power and walked off stage with their instruments, while Crown Vibes Entertainment turned off all power and stage lights since they also were not paid.
Panday has since reportedly gone into hiding.
The Horror story
The event was actually a ‘wind down’ feature for Berbicians, after their Mash festivities. All seemed to be going well and though the event started beyond its 20:00 hrs stipulated time, patrons were having a ball when everything went sour around 21:45 hrs.
Mordell himself greeted the reveling crowd and introduced the first artiste, Chutney singer Rick Ramoutar of Trinidad. The singer had only begun his first song when he was dragged from the stage by a man, whom some people are actually claiming to be Trinidad soca artiste Destra Garcia’s manager.
Minutes later the lights and sound men and band members detached all electrical appliances and left the stage. That was when the crowd realized that there was to be no more show, and erupted in anger.
The ‘Destra Berbice Inferno’ was to feature performances by Destra, Jamaican reggae and dancehall queen ‘Cecile’, chutney star Rick Ramoutar, US based chutney singer Jun Jeezy and Guyana’s Marlon ‘Malo’ Webster.
Chants of ‘we want back we money’ filled the air, and patrons began to rain bottles on the promoters who were attempting to escape the violence in a car. It was during this confusion that the alleged fraudster, Panday made good his escape with other family members he had working the gates and other locations of the event.
Angry patrons sprayed mace into the air and attacked the promoter’s car even as the six police ranks present attempted to take control. They swarmed the car and after breaking into it took away the box containing the night’s earnings and ticket stubs. It was not until the police fired warning shots into the air that the crowd eased off a little, but bottles continued to rain on the car as it sped away.
The promoter speaks
In an interview yesterday, Slaughter House Promotions, Keith Mordell said that he had met Panday through a close associate whilst at a party in Guyana and he had voiced his intentions of promoting the show.
He said that Panday declared that he had all the contacts for sponsorship and other promotion deals, emphasizing that he had worked with some of the top entertainment and promoting companies in Guyana.
He won Mordell’s heart so most of the promotional aspects were left to him. Mordell said that on a weekly basis he paid Panday some US$200 to execute his duties and Panday would regularly inform him via telephone that ‘things were going well’.
He said that the night before the show they hosted a ‘Meet and Greet Party’ in honour of the artistes at the Castle Nightclub in New Amsterdam, and made over $300 000 which Panday has also failed to turn over to him.
According to Mordell, Panday had told him that he had acquired some $2.5M from Digicel, $2M from Banks DIH Limited, and $500 000 from Giftland Officemax.
He said upon arriving in Guyana and contacting these three entities he was shocked beyond belief when he was told a few days before the show that such information was never passed to Panday at any time.
The very saddened promoter said that Panday told him he was required to pay $200 000 for the Technical Institute Ground. He said the man (Panday) said he had only owed a balance of $35 000 which according to Mordell turned out to be another lie.
He said on approaching the management there to clear this balance he realized that Panday had made a settlement with them to pay $120,000 for the ground and not the $200,000 he had previously declared.
Mordell said monies were provided to Panday to pay Rick Ramoutar an advance of US$1500, which he had wired to him from New York. He said Panday had informed that this sum was already paid. The promoter said on the night of the show he almost dropped dead when he was informed by Rick and his manager that the advance was never paid.
To add more stress to the promoter’s already heart rending situation a large stack of tickets and an undeclared sum of cash mysteriously disappeared from the Candy Shop in New Amsterdam, which was the only authorized ticket outlet. Shockingly these said tickets began showing up at the gate with forged signatures, and the ticket holders all declared that they had indeed purchased the tickets at the said location.
It was all chaos and confusion yesterday since Destra and Rick Ramoutar were still at the hotel with a huge bill in front of them which Panday had informed was already paid.
Mordell further informed that Panday went ahead without his permission and gave the food sale franchise to the White Castle Fish Shop, even though he had told him not to.
The promoter is crying close to $6M in losses from funds taken from the gates by the public, and the unaccounted sums with which Panday has allegedly disappeared with. Up to press time the Events Coordinator could not be located and his relatives are very tightlipped.
Mineral and oil rich country borrowing to feed, clothe and house its citizens.
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