Teachers’ apartment broken into twice in three months - Ministries to refund losses by tomorrow

Teachers’ apartment broken into twice in three months – Ministries to refund losses by tomorrow

Jan 04, 2021 News

Kaieteur News- Two teachers who work in Port Kaituma, Region One are now counting their losses for the second time after the apartment they are stay in, was broken into while they were away during the Christmas holiday.
After one of the teachers made a Facebook post about the incident, the respective ministers and officials have since made direct contact with the teachers and assured them that their losses will be refunded by Tuesday and that measures will be put in place to better secure the building.
The teachers, Leon Bailey Beaton and Lochanie Dhanrajh told Kaieteur News that their losses from the most recent incident totaled $200,000.
According to a social media post by Beaton, “Three months ago, my government quarters that I am staying in, was broken into. All of my working clothes, school stationery and my electrical appliances (that I bought with my own money in the five years that I am here) were stolen. The estimated loss was $450,000.”

The wire mesh that was ripped open to enter and the door that was destroyed to exit the apartment.

This publication was told that the previous incident happened on October 19, 2020, at Fitzburg, Port Kaituma, Region One. The items that were stolen are, electrical appliances, an electronic tablet, clothes, stationery, holy books, books with notes from classes at the University of Guyana (UG), foodstuff, detergents, sheets, blankets, towels and cosmetics.
In Beaton’s post he also shared that after that incident he used his savings and replaced some of the items that were stolen and that the Department of Education in Region One, also assisted.
After the first incident, Beaton shared that they wrote a letter to the Department, asking them to secure the teachers’ quarters. However, the Deputy Education Officer (DEO) responded and said that it would be budgeted for but no work was ever done.
According to the teachers, on September 10, 2020, an initial attempt was made to break into their apartment but the person/persons were unsuccessful. After that attempt was made, they alerted the relevant authorities via letters hoping that they would install iron grills on the windows but nothing was done.
Dhanrajh said that they left Port Kaituma on December 2, 2020, and returned on Saturday. Kaieteur News understands that when the teachers returned they noticed the wire mesh at the kitchen window was ripped open and a few louver windows were removed, and that the bedroom door which had two locks was also forcefully opened. Checks were then made and items were discovered missing to a total cost of $200,000.

As a result of the incidents being made public, Beaton said that; the Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand; Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for Amerindian and Hinterland Education Development, Marti Desouza; Guyana Teachers Union (GTU) General Secretary, Coretta McDonald; Minister of Housing and Water and parliamentarian responsible for Region One, Collin Croal and Technical Facilitator to the Minister of Education, Melcita Bovell, all made direct contact with them.
Beaton stated that the Ministers and the other officials that contacted them give them all assurance that they would be refunded all their items that were lost by Tuesday; Dhanrajh added that they were offered to stay in a hotel until the repairs are completed on the apartment which is expected to take about a week. Both incidents were reported to the police and an investigation was launched.