Journalist’s vehicle destroyed by fire; arson suspected

Police are investigating the cause of a fire which completely destroyed a brand new vehicle belonging to TV journalist Travis Chase at around 02:45h Monday.

Chase told the News Room that he usually parks his Honda CRV 4-wheel drive in the compound of the Ministry of Public Service at Vlissengen Road and Durban Streets  for security purposes since he lives close by.

Chase, who works at HGPTV Nightly News, said he was alerted to the fire by the female security guard and initially he thought it was the Ministry’s building on fire.

Chase believes someone deliberately set his car on fire.

“There was a small fire and it was deliberately set. You cannot say it was an electrical fire because the vehicle is brand new…it’s not reused. Apparently they smashed the driver’s side and threw whatever they had to,” Chase told the News Room.

Chase has been driving the car for two and a half months now.

A bus belonging to the Ministry was also damaged along with a motorbike and a car that was privately owned.

Chase said the security guard did not see anyone because the fire occurred during the heavy downpour of rain and the possibility exist she could have been sleeping.

He said the perpetrator/perpetrators/ had to scale the fence to access the compound and Police are now awaiting access to CCTV footage.

Chase, who is also involved in the gold mining business, said he has no feud with anyone in this business but he noted that in February 2019, someone slashed the tyres of his black Dualis vehicle which he also drives.