Commissioner sworn-in to conduct COI for 2018 piracy attack

Jul 03, 2019 News

Dr Rishee Shri Thakur was yesterday sworn-in by Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan as Commissioner, to conduct the Commission of Inquiry (COI) into the circumstances surrounding the piracy attack on Guyanese nationals in April 2018 off the Atlantic Coast of the Republic of Suriname.
Representative of the Ministry of the Presidency, Geeta Chandan-Edmond brought the order made by President David Granger to the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.
She related to the court that this COI’s findings and recommendations will be reported to the President after it discovers the circumstances surrounding the violent criminal acts, hijacking of Guyanese-owned vessels, and the resultant deaths of Guyanese nationals on, or about April 27, 2019.
After the swearing-in the magistrate stepped down from her bench to hand over the document to Dr Thakur. This now gives him the authority to summon witnesses to determine the identities of those killed; the perpetrators and the motive of the attack.
Moreover, the COI will be conducted at the Skeldon Estate Training Centre, Berbice, and will commence immediately. It is to be completed by September 2, 2019.
The piracy attack was perpetrated on 20 Guyanese fishermen in Suriname waters. Several pirates attacked four fishing boats, tying up crewmen, chopping several of them and ordering others to transfer their catch.
One man reportedly witnessed his captain being trussed up and weighted with a battery and dumped overboard. Another saw his colleague’s arm being chopped off. Five men survived by jumping overboard and swimming away.
Days later, another fishing boat was attacked with the captain, a Guyanese, killed and crewmen dumped overboard.
Some 12 fishermen, all Guyanese, are still missing after the first deadly attack that took place between the Suriname and French Guiana borders.
A suspect in the deadly attack was charged remanded to prison on May 12, 2018 for allegedly robbing two fishing vessels – one in 2015 and the other in 2016.
Nakool Manohar, called ‘Fyah’, 39, of Number 43 Village, Corentyne, Berbice, appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court. He was not required to plead to the indictable charges of robbery under-arms that were filed under Section Three of the Hijacking and Piracy Act Chapter 10:08.
Particulars of the first charge against him alleged that between April 1 and April 30, 2015, in the territorial waters of Guyana in the Corentyne Magisterial District, while in the company of others and armed with guns and cutlasses, he robbed fishing vessel ‘Sir Navin’ of a 248 horsepower engine valued at $2.8M property of Daneshwar Reddy called ‘Smallie’.
It was further alleged that between August 1 and August 30, 2016, in the territorial waters of Guyana in the Corentyne Magisterial District, while in the company of others and armed with guns and cutlasses, he robbed fishing vessel ‘Captain Vickesh’ owned by Vickesh Balkissoon. The fishing vessel is valued at $2.3M.
Manohar was arrested on May 2, 2018 and was kept in custody up until his arraignment before the Chief Magistrate, after police filed a Habeas corpus in the High Court and were granted extension in time to detain the suspect.
Law enforcement here and in Suriname treated the pirate attack as a reprisal crime for the murder of Manohar’s brother, Somnauth, who was killed during a drive-by shooting in Suriname. Like his brother who had residence in Suriname, Nakool Manohar is the owner of several fishing boats.
Police Inspector Gordon Mansfield, who stood for the prosecution in Manohar’s case, had informed the court that persons gave statements to the police implicating Manohar in the armed robberies.
Some of Manohar’s workers were also arrested but were released shortly after; some of the alleged pirates were also arrested in Suriname.

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