Latest update August 1st, 2026 12:35 AM
Latest News
Two captured, charged in connection with murder of Bartica Miner, worker
Remanded, Travis and Fernando Fredericks
Kaieteur News – Police have captured and charged two persons in connection with the murder of a Bartica miner and his worker who were riddled with bullets on Sunday March 3, 2024.
The suspects have been identified as brothers, Travis Fredericks, a 32-year-old Miner from 287 Tuschen Housing Scheme, East Bank Essequibo (EBE) and Fernando Fredericks, a 28-year-old Miner from the same address.
In a press statement sent out on Thursday, police said that following an investigation the brothers appeared separately at the Bartica Magistrate’s Court before Magistrate Teriq Mohamed and were each charged with the offense “of being an accessory after the fact to murder”.
They were not required to plea to the charge and were both remanded to prison. Their matters were adjourned to April 25, 2024 for disclosure.
On the morning of March 3 last Bartica Businessman, Zaheer Mohammed Sheriff, 50 and a former national athlete who worked with him, Donovan Washington, 26 were murdered by bandits while returning from Arimu Backdam, Cuyuni River, Region Seven.
Murdered, Mohammed Sherriff and Donvan Washington
Mohammed owned a land dredge in the backdam. He had reportedly started his day early that day with prayers at the Masjid in Bartica before leaving with Washington for Arimu Backdam on an ATV (four wheel bike. They had gone in there to wash down (a process of washing separate gold from mats placed in a sluice box to trap the precious metal) and bring out production (the gold).
According to police reports they left with 102 ounces of raw gold worth some $37M but at around 10:00hrs that day, they were both shot dead and the gold stolen. The dead businessman’s General Manager (GM) Joel Stephen, 39, told police that Mohammed and Washington were killed some five minutes after leaving camp. He recalled hearing “several loud explosions which he suspected to be gunshots”, police said.
Stephen reportedly followed the directions of the sounds and after walking for 500 meters away from camp he found his boss and Washington dead in the trail with visible gunshot wounds to their bodies. Not only did he discover that the gold they were carrying was gone but Mohammed’s two licensed guns, a .32 pistol and a 12-gauge shotgun, were stolen. Police had reported that investigators learnt that the businessman and his worker were attacked by two masked men on a Red ATV (four-wheel bike).
Share this:
Discover more from Kaieteur News
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Similar Articles
Blunt of the day
Sports
Features/Columnists
Sir. Ronald Sanders
The GHK Lall Column
Weekend Cartoon
