By Leroy Smith
A businessman (Name withheld) who owns and operates a dry goods store in Georgetown is alleged to have paid $20,000 each to two men, to set fire to the Gafoors Houston complex bond on October 10, 2016.
This was confirmed by one of the suspects presently in custody. The man allegedly admitted that he and his accomplice were also responsible for the two previous fires at the complex earlier this year.
News Room was informed that the suspect who gave his name as Rafek Ali told police investigators that he worked with Gafoors in the past and also works with the businessman who paid him and the other person to set fire to the building.
Ali, according to police sources, has no fixed place of abode. The News Room learnt that on Saturday (October 15, 2016), there was another attempt to set fire to the Gafoors complex, however that failed. It was disclosed that the man was captured when he and his accomplice returned on Sunday morning to make another attempt at setting the building on fire.
Contacted this morning, Mr. Sattaur Gafoor told the News Room that from the inception he knew someone was out to destroy his investment and cripple him but he could not pin-point who it was, as he always ensured that his operations over the last 64 years were above board.
He even made mention of his generous act of paying some staff half month salary after they were asked to stay home following the initial fire four months ago.
The businessman said that he is working along with a local insurance company (Name withheld) to bring in a private investigator from the United States to look into the recent fires. He said confirmation and logistics in this regard would be finalised at a meeting later this morning.
The businessman, who allegedly paid the money to set the bond on fire has not yet been invited by the police to give a statement but it is expected that the man would be called in later today to give his side of the story before the police move forward with their investigations.
