By Royan Abrams
Residents of Berbice are calling for justice in recent murders and for a further intervention by the Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan into the recent spate of murders and other gun related crimes in the ancient county.
Only last week within a two days period, two bodies were found several villages away from each other, one being a teenager who was identified as 14-year-old Akeem Grimmomd and the other as 26-year-old Levan Chanderpaul.
Speaking with News Room, Ryan Persaud, the father of the 14-year- old who was murdered at #60 Village on the Corentyne said that he is upset with the amount of murder and crime that are on the increase in Berbice, which eventually claimed the life of his son.
“Every time you open the papers is share crime and murder, crime and murder in Berbice, majority is this side” he added.
Persaud who was visibly shaken at the time noted that there is a need for urgent intervention by the Public Security Minister who is also the Leader of the Alliance For Change (AFC).
He said “me want to send out a message to the minister of public security Mr Ramjattan, we voted for you and put you there right and watch is what happening to us now, you’re the man in charge, you’re the man that suppose to protect and serve us and watch what is going on within our country.”
Persaud further pleaded for justice for his 14-year-old son whose body was dumped in a trench behind a burial ground at #60 Village on the Corentyne. His body was found on Monday, August 22,2016.
Subsequently, fisherman 26-year-old Levan Chanderpaul’s battered body was found in the backlands on Wednesday, August 24,2016.
So far no one has confessed to the two murders but a known character at #60 village has been remanded to prison for allegedly killing the teenage boy while two others are presently in custody for the fisherman’s death.
The fisherman’s mother Seerani Chamderpaul said ” I don’t know what is going one, every day is something and you does hardly see police in the area and me nah know what happen with the Neighbourhood police group”
Additionally, on July 22,2016 three fishermen inclusive of a 17-year-old were shot and killed in the Black Bush Polder area after they reportedly witnessed a larceny.
Luckily with the assistance and support garnered from detectives out of Georgetown, the police in Berbice were able to crack the case and gotten a confession from three suspects responsible for the murder of the three fishermen.
Meanwhile, during a comparative analysis presented to members of the media earlier in the month, it had shown that 17 murders were committed from the period January 1, 2015, to August 2015, while during the same period this year the police in ‘B’ Division have recorded an increase with 23 murders.
During a recent visit to Berbice earlier this month, President David Granger told Berbicians that his Government is working closely with the Minister of Public Security to make region six a safe.
