The assistant Chief Security Officer of IPA, Sidwell Dexter Collins, was found dead on Camp Street, Georgetown early yesterday after he was attacked by a lone gunman and a relative suspects he was the victim of a contract killing.
Collins, 32, also known as ‘Gold teeth’ was a former boxing champion. He was attacked some time around 1 am shortly after he had left the IPA (International Pharmaceutical Agency) office on Camp Street.
Police, in a terse press release said that they are investigating the circumstances surrounding the man’s death. Collins, according to them, was found on Camp Street with gunshot wounds. He was taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH) where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
There have been no reports of whether police have managed to get enough of a description to start a hunt for the killer. However, up to press time no one had been taken into custody. Several persons, who work in the vicinity of where the incident occurred, reported hearing three gunshots. Stabroek News understands that Collins was wounded by two of the shots. Persons also saw a lone gunman fleeing the scene.
Collins was required to make visits to IPA locations as part of his job. His reputed wife, Keisha Vandoinan, said she last saw him alive at about 7.40 on Tuesday night. Collins, she recalled, went home, took a bath and said he was going back out to check on IPA’s Camp Street location.
“He told me that he would be gone for an hour or so,” Vandoinan said. “This is something he would normally do. He would come home and go out back and sometimes if someone don’t show up for their shift he does cover for them.”
Some time after midnight, Vandoinan said, she woke up and realized that her reputed husband had not returned. She assumed that he had gotten tied up in his work but was a little worried that he didn’t call to explain.
Around 6 am yesterday Vandoinan said that one of Collins’ friends called to tell her that he heard that he had been shot. The woman and a group of relatives immediately made their way to the GPH morgue. Several hours later Vandoinan’s screams could be heard after she was escorted by a police officer to identify Collins’ body.
Later, the distressed woman said she didn’t know if Collins had a disagreement with anyone. Even if he did, Vandoinan stated, she would not have known about it. Collins, according to her, was a very nice person and didn’t believe in causing others unnecessary worry.
“If he had problem with somebody or if somebody de threaten to kill he then I don’t think he woulda tell me anything,” she said. “He was a man who like to keep to himself but he was very nice and loving.”
Contracted killer?
A shift report written by a guard on duty at the time that Collins was murdered said that he stopped in at the IPA Camp Street location and then left. Prior to this, Collins had been “having a drink” at a city bar.
After Collins left IPA he was seen walking south along Camp Street and a few moments later the three gunshots were heard by his colleague and other persons stationed at various locations in the area.
The shooting occurred a few buildings south of IPA on Camp Street. Collins was discovered in front an empty lot located between MDT (Micro Design Technology) and St. Margaret’s Primary (the lot is exactly opposite Clico’s building).
“I heard this first gunshot,” an eyewitness told this newspaper, “and I look up and I see two man. One of the man try to run and the other one fire off two more shots and the next thing I see this man fall down lil out on the road and the next one start run.”
The incident, according to the witness, happened in a flash. There was no struggle between the two and there appeared to be no handing over of valuables which would suggest it was a robbery turned murder.
Police, the witness said, arrived at the scene “not too long after” and they again revisited several hours after to scour the area. When Stabroek News visited the location a blood stain, indicating the area where Collins collapsed, could still be seen.
Although relatives could not say who would want Collins dead they believe that whoever it is paid someone to murder him.
“Whoever de want he dead,” a relative told Stabroek News outside the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH) yesterday, “send that gunman to kill he…is pay they pay somebody and I sure is not nuff (plenty) money they pay either.”
When asked why they would say such a thing, the relative stated that “anyone with sense not going to kill somebody by them self. Not now ah days anyway…I telling you this thing is a business now…if you want something bad enough you can pay to get it done in Guyana.”
Relatives further said that despite the dangerous nature of Collins’ job, he was not allowed to carry a firearm and walked on foot around the city at night to check on the various IPA locations. It would’ve been easy for someone to trail Collins, they said, and then wait for the opportune moment to attack.
Several attempts made to contact IPA for a comment were futile. Employees at the Camp Street location advised this newspaper to revisit today.
There are two earlier cases which share similar characteristics with Collins’ murder. The more recent is the shooting to death of West Demerara businessman Terry Bacchus. He was shot once by a gunman who then escaped with another accomplice. This happened around 9.30 pm on Saturday at Water Street, Georgetown just outside Bacchus’ store.
Saltfish exporter Rajendra Motilall Sonilall was executed at Mon Repos in early April. Two men had been hauled in for questioning in relation to the man’s death. One had outstanding money, which amounted to millions, for Sonilall while the exporter (Sonilall) owed the other a large sum.
Reports are that the gunman pumped four bullets into Sonilall as he sat alone under a shed near his business place around 7:30 pm. He was reportedly shot twice to the head, once to the throat and another bullet pierced his stomach. Nothing was stolen from him.