Prime Minister Samuel Hinds said he believes Tuesday’s grenade attack on the home of the Guyana Energy Agency (GEA) head was sparked by the excellent work that is being done to catch fuel smugglers.
According to police reports around 23:30 hrs Mahender Sharma heard a noise on the premises of his residence at Lot 263 Bissessar Avenue, Prashad Nagar, Georgetown. Later around 01:30 hrs on Wednesday as he was letting a guest out, he found a fragmentation grenade in the yard. The grenade did not explode when it was thrown but shattered an emergency light located at the front of the building.
Police were later contacted. The device was removed by ranks who then combed the area but came up empty-handed.
No one living close by saw anything suspicious.
In a press release condemning the incident Hinds said that while the person/s and motive/s are yet to be established, the “Prime Minister has no doubt that this attack stems from the excellent job being done by Sharma and the fuel marking unit of the GEA, in discovering, disrupting and prosecuting fuel smugglers”.
The release added that on the behalf of the government and himself, Hinds extended solidarity to Sharma, relatives and friends.
“Every society needs persons who would seek to protect it from those who would pursue what appear to be large sums of easy money, irrespective of the cost to both society and themselves. Those members of society who, in spite of the risks involved, take jobs that lead in the fight against such criminal activities are providing an essential, invaluable service to society,” the release added.
In this regard, Hinds affirmed the government’s unwavering support to all agencies and citizens, who in spite of the risks involved, stand firm against all forms of smuggling and trafficking.