Police hunt brothers following shooting death of cane cutter

Oct 08, 2014 News

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While new information has surfaced, a number of versions are emerging as to the circumstances surrounding the shooting death of an East Canje cane cutter some 75 miles away from his home at Bara Cara up the Canje River. The incident allegedly forced the President and his entourage to cancel a pre-arranged visit to the area for the community’s first Village Day.

Reports are that the dead man, 29-year-old Dhanraj Basdeo called ‘Wabble’   of 850 New Area ,Canefield Settlement, East Canje, Berbice ,was found in a boat around 20:00hrs on Sunday with the alleged shooter’s reputed wife in the Canje River.  It was also reported that he was allegedly shot in the forehead by the woman’s reputed husband and brother, after becoming embroiled in an altercation with the two men.
According to residents, Basdeo was a regular visitor to the area, and he and two friends had travelled to the Bara Cara location on Saturday to be a part of the Village Day which was held last Monday.
The man and the alleged shooter are known to each other, and according to residents, would do business on a regular basis.
Police say that Basdeo was in a boat in the Canje River with a young lady, Liz Andrea Phillips 21, formerly of Port Kaituma and of 3 Doors Torani Canal, Berbice River, where she lives with her reputed husband Lionel Amsterdam (Hinds) and other family members.
At about 20:00 hrs on the evening in question Amsterdam and his brother Linden Amsterdam called ‘Baige’ came to the boat that the two individual were in.
The young woman who was taken to live in the area only about four months ago by her husband was given a sound trashing by the suspect, who accused her of having a relationship with Basdeo and being caught red handed. The man had allegedly received information that Basdeo was having an affair with his wife.
Basdeo, it is understood, tried to put up resistance and was shot in his forehead.
His two friends, who also hail from East Canje, reported that they were some distance away and after hearing the gunshot made enquiries as to what may have occurred and found their colleague slumped in the boat. They left immediately for New Amsterdam and took him to the hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
The matter was reported and the police went into the area on Monday morning and conducted investigation into the matter. Searches were conducted for the suspects who had disappeared.
The seriously injured Phillips was in the meantime taken to the medical centre at Bara Cara where she was receiving treatment. Upon the police arrival in the area and due to Phillips’ condition she was immediately escorted by the police to the New Amsterdam Hospital where she was admitted for emergency treatment.
The  deceased man’s father  Navendra Basdeo, a field foreman at the Rose Hall Estate , had told the media that his only son, who is the second of his three children, had left home around 09:00 hrs on Saturday. He said that his son did not state where he was going, but telephoned him about an hour after, telling him to inform his mother that he will not be around for a few days.
He was at home around midnight on Sunday when the police visited his home and enquired if ‘Wabble’ lives there. He was subsequently taken to the New Amsterdam hospital where he saw his son with a bullet wound to the forehead.
While some residents are stating that the suspect and the woman had separated and she was friendly with Basdeo. They had indicated that she had invited the men to the area for the weekend.
However, the woman at the centre of the controversy had a different story. She is trying to debunk what is being bandied around. She denied that she and Basdeo were in a relationship. She said that she knew Basdeo because he and his ‘partners’ and her reputed husband are friends. The men would visit the area at the invitation of her husband and friends and conduct business.
She said that she lives at the 3 Doors Torani Canal with her reputed husband, his brother and his wife. The men, who are no strangers to the area, arrived by boat on Saturday afternoon and were imbibing in Vodka. She was asked to cook some food for the men who later slept at their residence.
She said on Sunday she was forced to go out by her reputed husband and his brother. They ended up at a bar drinking and smoking cigarettes.
She said that whenever her husband drinks he would always behave in a hostile manner and Sunday evening was no different. Her husband started to accuse her of having a relationship with Basdeo. He and his brother eventually walked out of the bar and left the area. She remained at the bar and continued a conversation with Basdeo. However, the men returned and forced them to go into the boat.
The men started to beat them and as Basdeo resisted, the gun was pressed to his forehead and he was shot and died almost instantly. The men then turned their attention on her and she was struck repeatedly with the gun on her head and other parts of her body. They stripped her of some of her clothes and had planned to take her out of the boat and take her to a lonely area and ‘done her dance’ (kill her).
She said that she eventually managed to escape and “ended up by some person’s house”. She was rescued and taken to the medical centre where she spent the night. The woman suffered a broken finger on her right hand and laceration to her head, face and other parts of her body, some of which required sutures.
The woman said that she is very fearful for her life. She has since moved out of the area and is being kept at a secret location under police protection.
Investigations are continuing as the hunt continues for the men.

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