‘A desperado’ – Benn says no chances were taken with prison escapee Wong

Minister of Home Affairs Robeson Benn said Monday that no chances were taken by members of the Joint Services who were in pursuit of now-dead prison escapee, Akeem Wong.

“This was a desperado, a rapist and a murderer out there. His actions resulted in the death of two elderly people. His actions also resulted vicariously perhaps, in the death of a Sergeant of the Guyana Police Force.

‘There were no chances taken,” Benn told the News Room at the sidelines of an event on Monday.

Rape convict, Akeem Wong was shot and killed by members of the Joint Services on Sunday.

The incident occurred at ‘Groete Creek’ Backdam, Essequibo River in Region Seven.

Wong escaped from the Mazaruni Prison, Guyana’s maximum security prison, on February 15.

Police Headquarters said that Wong, who hid in some bushes charged towards the ranks while brandishing a cutlass.

As such, Police said a shot was fired and Wong was fatally wounded.

Police found $14,700, three sim cards, a flash drive and memory card, scissors, four cigarettes, a flashlight with batteries, a fishing hook, CAN$100, a cellphone and a lighter.

Wong is the main suspect in the brutal murders of David Gomes and his 75-year-old mother Elizabeth Gomes.

David and his mother were brutally chopped to death between 17:00hrs and 20:00hrs on March 08.

At the time, the mother and son were visiting their vacation home in Saxacalli home.

They were accompanied by David’s six-year-old son who witnessed the heinous crime.

Following the double murder, it is believed that Wong was hiding out in the area, which consists of multiple trails. There were also numerous sightings of him in the Saxacalli area.

In response, a team of “highly” trained ranks of the Joint Services were dispatched to the area and its environs in pursuit of Wong.

Last week, Police Sergeant Alex Vaughn, who was part of the search party, lost his life after he was accidentally shot by one of his colleagues, a police constable.