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Were father and son killed in Venezuela or Guyana?
– Relatives want answers
A major controversy is brewing over the jurisdiction of the murder of a Guyanese father and son last week.
While Crime Chief Seelall Persaud has suggested that the murders of Orlando Fitzpatrick and his son Jesse occurred in Venezuela, residents of Wauna in Northern Guyana are insisting that the killings took place in Guyana’s territory.
FATHER: Orlando Fitzpatrick
SON: Jesse Fitzpatrick
The two Guyanese were shot dead, reportedly by Venezuelan soldiers, while they were crossing the Kaurasima Creek last week Thursday. Their bodies were reportedly handed over to relatives last night.
“It did not occur in Guyana, according to our information,” the Crime Chief told reporters on Monday.
There are reports that police ranks from Mabaruma went to a community near the Venezuelan border but could not ascertain for sure where the incident actually took place. The Venezuelans are maintaining that the men were killed on their territory and have even performed a post mortem examination on the bodies.
But residents of the Wauna area reported hearing heavy gunshots close to their community and they are convinced that Fitzpatrick and his son were shot while travelling in the Kaurasima Creek, which is located in Guyana.
According to a resident who claims to have been traversing the Kaurasima area for the past 35 years, it is not unusual for Venezuelan soldiers to leave their base and venture into Guyana to intercept Guyanese fuel smugglers, from whom they demand US$25 per barrel.
“The Crime Chief has to understand that they have to protect our rights too, rather than just dismiss us. This is nothing new. Just now these people (Venezuelan soldiers) will come in our houses and we gon have to ask Interpol for help too,” an angry resident of the area told Kaieteur News.
The resident explained that several Guyanese miners are working in neighbouring Venezuela under the unauthorized supervision of the military there, for a percentage of their “production”.
According to relatives, Orlando Fitzpatrick was one of these Guyanese miners.
They dismissed reports that he was the perpetrator of several robberies in the area, who was killed during a confrontation with the Venezuelan soldiers.
“That is a lie from the pit of hell,” was how Fitzpatrick’s mother Gladys Seetahall described the reports.
She said that she found it strange that her son and grandson who were working in the said mining district since last year were never previously accused of robbing anyone.
“Pick sense outta nonsense, they woulda done shoot he and his son a long time ago. They are trying to frame him now that he is dead,” Seetahall declared.
Crime Chief Persaud said he had no report that suggested that Fitzpatrick was a bandit.
“I am not aware of that and we don’t have the official position of the Venezuelans, all that we have is information from relatives that they were shot,” the Crime Chief said.
Kaieteur News understands that several persons are travelling to the northwest district for the men’s funeral. A relative, who lives in Georgetown and will be travelling today, said many persons who knew Fitzpatrick are shocked and saddened by the manner of his death.
“Some people gone by boat already and there are two full planes leaving today,” the relative stated.
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