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Fire causes minimal damage at Wales Magistrate’s Court
– believed to have been started by arsonist
From all indications, close proximity to a police station is no longer a deterrent to a
Fire Fighters preparing to leave after completing their investigation at the scene of the fire yesterday.
criminal mind. This is in light of the fact that a fire believed to be the work of an arsonist destroyed a section of the West Bank Demerara Wales Magistrate’s Court, which interestingly enough is housed in the same compound as the Wales Police Station.
The fire was contained by police ranks on duty and nearby residents who together formed a bucket brigade using water from a trench.
Although this publication was denied access to the burnt out area of the court, reports are that a section of the Magistrate’s Chamber and part of the courtroom, including furniture were charred by the fire.
One resident, who claimed to be among the first to recognise that something was amiss, said that he woke up to “crackling” sounds around 06:00 hours yesterday. The man said when he peered out his window he observed smoke coming through the court house windows on the northern side.
He immediately raised an alarm and along with other residents rushed over to the Station compound where frantic efforts were made to tackle a small blaze that was not very evident to many at the time.
The man said that while police ranks seemed bent on insisting that the fire started downstairs he is not so convinced. “I ain’t buying that! They saying how it look like is downstairs it start but that hard fuh I believe,” said the resident who spoke of “more damage” inside the courtroom (which is housed in the upper flat of the building). The lower section of the court is partially enclosed.
When a senior reporter from this publication asked to see the scene of the fire a ‘plainclothes’ police rank asked that she leave the compound, instead, and gather further information from the Police Public Relations Officer.
However, it was a fire service officer who when asked about the cause of the fire unreservedly disclosed that it was arson. A fire engine from the Leonora Fire Station was dispatched to the West Bank Demerara locale after calls were made informing of the fire.
However there was not much fire fighting to be done by the fire fighters who arrived as the fire was already subdued by the early responders. They were however tasked with ensuring that this was the case by thoroughly examining the scene. It is believed that the fire officers were soon after able to deduce the cause of the fire. While not detailing exactly what was uncovered a reliable source told this publication that there were glaring evidence to support the arson theory.
The Wales Magistrate’s Court was built and commissioned to the tune of some $44 million, last March to replace a dilapidated structure.
No one was able to say yesterday who was responsible for the fire or if any destructive threat was levelled since the commissioning of the building.
The supposed arson is one that points to blatant disregard for law enforcement, a state of affairs that seems to be invading the society. Just last week a man was shot and robbed while sitting in a motor vehicle a few meters from the Brickdam Police Station.
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