Latest update January 3rd, 2025 4:13 AM
Latest News
- Govt. to retender for Amaila Falls project
- $136M estimated to construct concrete bridge at Black Bush Polder
- Govt. aiming to bring all funds for decommissioning into joint account with ExxonM
- $402M tissue culture facility to reduce food import bill – Agri Minister
- Jagdeo defends 4% interest on US EXIM Bank loan for Gas-to-Energy project
GuySuCo scouring Canje River for missing sluice attendant
Officials of the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo)’s Rose Hall Estate in Berbice, with assistance from the Guyana Police
MISSING: Christendatt Madramootoo
Force, are scrambling to find one of their sluice attendants. The man left home for work aback of the Reliance, Canje backlands on Sunday evening. He has been missing ever since.
The mystery deepens as the man’s bicycle, clothes, bag, hat, footwear and torchlight were all found at the work site, but there has been no sign of 56- year- old Christendatt Madramootoo, of Lot 115 Gangaram Settlement, East Canje.
His workmate, another sluice attendant, is being held for questioning at the Reliance Police Station.
Superintendent G. Springer; Admin Manager of Rose Hall Estate, Mr. Shiv Persaud; Acting Estate Manager and Field Manager, Mr. Lenny Dhanpat; Factory Manager, Mr. Deodat Singh, and other officials, family members, workmates and friends were down in the Reliance Backlands yesterday investigating the mysterious disappearance.
But Madramootoo’s family is outraged at the response of the sugar company. His work with GuySuCo started way back in 1972, as a cane harvester. His son, Lakeram Madramootoo, said that his father left as usual for work around 21:00 hrs on Sunday and was supposed to have reached back home around 05:30 hrs as he normally does. He never did.
“He ain’t come off work because I ain’t know what transpired…He missing.”
Madramootoo and his mother, Esther, thought that their relative had been working overtime. “Then we get call from someone who asked if daddy is at home and I told him he was not at home…Then we came out and searched.”
When the family arrived yesterday around 08:30hrs at the Reliance backdam, a family member alleged that they “saw GuySuCo had couple big boys—sitting down—and they say they searching. We asked them if they get a boat and they said the boat is at Brotherson [Village] and it was supposed to have come down back at 12pm.”
One of the family members said no boat arrived at 12:00 hours. “And we asked them what happened and they said it was delayed.” However, the family member did not want to sit and wait on GuySuCo’s boat which arrived until 15:30 hrs yesterday. They paid a private individual who used his boat to scour the Canje River during the morning hours, but there was no sign of Chandradatt.
Superintendent Springer (seen pointing) makes a point to family members yesterday at the Reliance Backdam area
“We had to hire [an] engine and buy fuel. We searched up to Sandvoort and [the] Canje Bridge area and nobody saw anything.”
In the afternoon after 16:00 hrs, Madramootoo, an estate security official and relatives left in one of GuySuCo’s search boats to scour the Canje Creek for the employee. The family members were also upset that when that search boat arrived yesterday afternoon, the company had no fuel. “He was on the work-site. I ain’t know if the person over there (his workmate) drop asleep or what transpired,” he added.
That attendant would have been on shift across the backlands at Lochaber in the Canje Creek. The man’s son explained that his father would normally have to flash his torchlight across the other side of the Lochaber end of the Canje River so that the workmate could respond with the boat and collect him from the other side.
From all indications, Madramootoo never reached the Lochaber side since all of his belongings were left on the side of the Reliance backlands.
“My father is a quiet, easy going person. He ain’t get no problem at home or with anybody. I don’t know whatever happened.”
The man’s wife, Esther, was distraught. She was sitting with relatives and neighbours, hoping for good news.
Yesterday, Acting Estate Manager, Mr. Dhanpat refused to comment on the matter.
Similar Articles
THE BLUNT OF THE DAY
Sports
Features/Columnists
GUYSUCO’s problems are political not managerial
Peeping Tom… Kaieteur News- The sugar industry has been for centuries Guyana’s agricultural backbone. Yet, its struggles... more
Breaking the Chains of Poverty: A need for political will
By Sir Ronald Sanders Kaieteur News- The year 2024 has underscored a grim reality: poverty continues to be an unyielding... more
Weekend Cartoon
