Mechanic charged with murder of Goldfields Manager; Lawyer allege police brutality

A 20-year-old mechanic was today remanded to prison for the murder of 42-year-old Neil Whyte, a Supply Chain Manager of Aurora Gold Mines.

Anthony Ragnauth of Middle Road, La Penitence, Georgetown appeared before Magistrate Leron Daly at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court where he was remanded until June 18 for the indictable offence.

Particulars of the charge alleged that on May 21 at Thomas Street, North Cummingsburg, Ragnauth murdered Whyte.

His Attorney, Latchmi Rahamat told the court that her client was beaten by seven police officers while in custody. Rahamat alleged that an officer took a baton and squeezed Ragnauth’s testicle, which caused him much discomfort.

The matter was transferred to the Chief Magistrate for June 18.

Whyte’s body was found bound, naked and in a pool of blood with multiple stab wounds in the company’s apartment at Thomas Street, North Cummingsburg, Georgetown.

Ragnauth was arrested last Wednesday night and allegedly admitted to committing the crime. Police had said he took investigators to a location at Fifth Street, Alberttown where he handed over several items that belonged to the victim.

The man also handed over a knife, which suspected to be the murder weapon.

News Room was told that the suspect has no connection to the victim but was in the apartment building on the night of the incident.

According to reports, the suspect was arrested at Giftland Mall, Liliendaal, East Coast Demerara and the car which reportedly transported him from the crime scene, has been impounded.

News Room had reported that Whyte returned from an interior location on Monday night and went to the apartment but later left and returned with a friend, 25-year-old Arif Alli of Vryheid Village, West Canje, Berbice.

Alli departed approximately two hours later after which Whyte was discovered dead by the security officer on duty at the apartment building.

The apartment building belongs to Guyana Goldfields Inc. which is the parent company of Aurora Gold mines.

A post-mortem conducted on the body of Whyte by Government Pathologist Dr. Nehaul Singh at the Georgetown Public Hospital gave the cause of death as multiple stab wounds.