-inconclusive on earlier incident
The investigation into the recent Regent St fires has confirmed arson in the most recent case, which saw the destruction of Household Plus, the Chino Variety, Slim Jet, Fullworths General Store and Wireless Connections.
The Ministry of Home Affairs yesterday released the findings of reports by the Guyana Fire Service (GFS) on recent fires, dating back to the mysterious fire in 2006 that gutted the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Secretariat, which investigations conclude “may have been a result of arson.” All the reports concluded that the fires were either as a result or arson, caused by electrical problems or their origins remained unknown.
According to the findings of the investigations, the October 18 fires at Lot130 and 133 Regent Street, involving five buildings, “was caused by incendiary devices thrown into the Household Plus Store by persons who gained access to the building from the alleyway running from Cummings Street to Orange Walk between Charlotte and Regent Streets.” The ministry’s statement further informed that there is insufficient evidence to arrive at a cause of the October 9 fires at Lots 142-143 Regent Road, Bourda, Georgetown, due to the extent of the damage done, and therefore the fire is recorded as one of unknown origin.
These stores were located on the southern side of Regent Street, between Orange Walk and Cummings Street. Nine days before this disaster, on October 9, a massive fire erupted at the Regent Household Electronics store, between Albert and Light streets where persons witnessed the wire leading to the building sparking before flames fanned out, aided by strong winds. The nearby DM Sales Beauty World store was also gutted though some stock on the ground floor appeared to have escaped intact. Two houses at the back of these buildings were destroyed while nearby structures in Georgetown’s major commercial district suffered substantial damage.
The fire which erupted at Household Electronics completely destroyed that store, a bond behind the store, the home of an elderly man and his reputed wife, while gutting the top flat of DM Beauty World. Initial reports into this blaze suggested that it was electrical in origin. However, after the second fire on October 18, the first fire came under greater scrutiny since two brothers had property destroyed in each of the fires. Household Electronics is owned by Shaheed Hamid while his brother Nazir Hamid is the proprietor of Household Plus.
On September 10 the Ministry of Education office, Plantain Walk, Vreed-en-Hoop, West Bank Demerara was burnt. The report concluded that the fire was caused due to a short circuit which caused overheating of the electrical installation. On November 4 the Richard Ishmael fire was apart of a pre-dawn campaign in which the Supreme Court Registry was also targeted and two police stations came under heavy gunfire. Investigations had revealed the intruders attempted to set fires at several different locations in the school’s compound. These fires, the GFS reports said, were “of an incendiary nature and that the fire was maliciously set by person(s) unknown.”
’06 GECOM fire
Meanwhile, more than three years after the September 9, 2006 GECOM fire, the Ministry reported that that the building’s security was breached and it is suspected the fire may be the result of arson.
The GECOM Secretariat building, according to the relevant report received by the Home Affairs ministry, concluded that since access to the building was not difficult, person(s) by-passed security and it is suspected that the fire may have been as a result of arson. GECOM Chairman Dr. Steve Surujbally on January 12, 2007 had told the media that the commission received a report from then Chief Fire Officer Lawrence David that arson was suspected. However, the GFS never supplied a reason as to why they believe this to be so.
The GECOM secretariat had lost equipment and furniture as well as some administrative records; however, management had insisted the registration database was not affected nor was the functions of the organization. Its staff had to be accommodated in the K.P Thomas Building, not far from the Commission office which was also used as the command centre for the August 28, 2006 elections.
Immediately after the fire, Dr Surujbally had said electronic copies of the financial records from the accounts department were contained in the Integrated Fiscal and Management Accounting System (IFMAS) system at the Finance Ministry, where they could be recovered.
These reports have been submitted to the Guyana Police Force for further investigation.