Six men, including businessmen Bramanand Nandalall Rambrichie and Salim Juman Azeez, were in custody at press time for questioning about recent high-profile killings after police issued 14 wanted bulletins in less than 24 hours.
Crime Chief Seelall Persaud yesterday afternoon confirmed the surrender of Rambrichie, also called ‘Bramma,’ along with ex-policemen Ricardo Rodrigues and Lloyd Roberts, who turned up with their lawyers. Clayton Hutson and Dennis Edwards Jnr, Persaud said, were arrested by police. Hutson was held at a Soesdyke/Linden, Highway roadblock while Edwards was arrested at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Eve Leary. He said that he had gone there to find someone.
Coming under increasing pressure to solve the execution-style killings, police on Thursday issued the bulletins for the five along with David Charran, John De Santos, owner of Marco trading Charlestown Mark De Abrue and ex-policeman Sean Belfield. Persaud would only say that Charran and De Santos are wanted by the police. He refused to divulge information about their background, saying that that would be inappropriate at this time.
Hours after the five men were taken into custody, police issued bulletins for well-known West Bank Demerara businessman Azeez, of Canal No. 2, West Bank Demerara and of Lot 454 Hopkinson Drive, Republic Park; Paul Daby (snr), Paul Daby (Jnr) called ‘Randell’ and Peter Daby, called ‘Spiderman,’ all of 127 D’Aguiar Park, Houston. The senior Daby also has a Lot 41 West Ruimveldt Housing Scheme address. Owner of Blue Iguana nightclub, Royston Peniston, called ‘Joe,’ whose last known address is Lot 7 Bel Air, Lamaha Gardens, is also wanted for questioning into the murders.
Anyone with information that could lead to the arrest of the wanted men is asked to contact the police. All information will be treated with strict confidence, police said.
‘The usual suspects’
Lawyers for three of the men expressed outrage at the allegations yesterday as well as the decision by police to issue wanted bulletins for the men. Attorney Nigel Hughes, who said he took Rambrichie into Eve Leary at around 10:30am, told Stabroek News that his client was “outraged” that the police would issue a bulletin for him since there was no basis for such a move. He likened the situation to the actions of the police in the film Casablanca who would “round up the usual suspects.” He said the issuing of the bulletins is just the usual move by the lawmen to “round up the usual suspects.”
Up to late last evening, Hughes said his client was still in custody and he was not allowed to speak to him. He said today if his client is not released he would decide whether he should move to the courts.
Vic Puran, the lawyer representing Hutson and Azeez, said last evening that he had filed habeas corpus proceedings to secure the release of the men and the matter is to be heard in court today. He said their detention was unlawful. “There is not one iota of evidence against my clients. The police are just detaining these guys and it is clear that they don’t have a clue as to who they are looking for,” Puran said, adding that he strongly believes that the issuing of the bulletins is a “publicity stunt.”
He said that he took Azeez to the police around 6 last evening. Earlier, he had told this newspaper that that he was at the police headquarters making arrangements for Hutson to go into the police when his client was arrested at Madewini for a traffic offence. “And, of course, he is totally innocent of any of these allegations. My client agrees that the police must conduct investigations but he is just upset that there are putting out a wanted bulletin when he is well known and available to the police,” he said. Puran added that his client is hoping that police are not trying to sensationalize the issue, “but he is prepared to cooperate fully with the police because he has nothing to hide.”
Meanwhile, attorney Glen Hanoman said that it is unimaginable that his client could be rearrested for questioning into a crime that he has already been cleared of. He said that he took Roberts to the police around lunch and on inquiring, police said that there are three murders that were being investigated. The lawyer stressed that his client was already cleared of the Cummings Lodge executions but would now be questioned about it for a second time. Roberts went to the police after his photograph appeared in the Kaieteur News, saying that he was wanted in connection with the incident. Police had not issued a wanted bulletin for the ex-policeman. After spending a night in police custody he was released. Hanoman also told this newspaper that he believes that the police are just “rounding up the usual suspects and I find it to be comical.” He added that Roberts is extremely upset, since it was not like the police did not know where he was.
Hanoman said that Roberts is so frustrated that he was contemplating not going to the police. The lawyer told Stabroek News that the police do not have the power to issue wanted bulletins for someone for questioning. He said that the police could only issue bulletins if they have evidence against a person. “That is unlawful (the issuing of the bulletins)”, he said adding that he will be contemplating taking the police to court over this situation because it is becoming “ridiculous.”
The first set of executions which claimed the lives of five persons including a 23-year-old woman and her three year old son, occurred on September 4. Police have since said that the other victims, Steve Jupiter, Christopher Gordon and Sherwin Jerome, were the targets and were believed to have been killed over missing drugs.
Jupiter has been described by police as a ‘hit man’ and a drug transporter while Gordon, who was deported for narcotics related offences, was also known to be involved in criminal activities.
Almost four weeks later, on October 1, Mark Caesar, known as ‘Lil Mark,’ was gunned down at the corner of Broad and Adelaide streets. While the motive for his killing is unclear, police sources have said that Caesar and Jupiter were friends and that the two killings might be somehow linked. Based on all accounts, a gunman, sitting in the back seat of a car, riddled him with bullets. His relatives have said that they are clueless as to the motive behind his death.
On Monday night, gunmen opened fire on a car transporting Patrick Goodluck and Godfrey Grootfaam. The two men died almost instantly from multiple gunshot wounds. According to Crime Chief Persaud, Goodluck, along with the men killed in the other two attacks, were associates and “would’ve worked for the same people.” Ballistics tests have revealed that the same gun was used in the Broad Street and the Campbellville executions.
Some of those wanted by the police for the killings are known businessman and while others are ex-policemen who are known associates of convicted drug trafficker Roger Khan. Some have already been before the court for drug and gun related offences.
Nandalall
Nandalall was charged in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court in May 1996 with conspiracy to traffic in narcotics. He was charged jointly with the late Farouk Razac. A year later, Nandalall was committed to stand trial in the High Court. The case, which was the result of a joint probe by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the Guyana Police Force, eventually fell apart.
On October 28, 2002, Nandalall was kidnapped, reportedly by the Mash Day prison escapees. He later managed to flee from his captives and his flight triggered killings around the city and the deaths of some of the escapees. Michael Singh, 28, a US citizen, who was the businessman’s guard, was found executed in Le Repentir cemetery. Prior to the discovery of Singh’s body, a man identified as prison escapee Dale Moore and another man were shot dead in Lamaha Gardens. Almost simultaneously, businessman Frank Solomon, other prison escapee Mark Fraser and city businessman Lancelot Roach were gunned down in separate cars on the East Coast Demerara. Fraser and Roach were in the latter’s car.
The police only claimed responsibility for the deaths of Moore and the other man shot in Lamaha Gardens, but the gunmen in the East Coast Demerara and Le Repentir executions remain unidentified to this day.
Hutson
On August 20 last, businessman Hutson was remanded to prison after he was charged with gun related offences and two traffic violations. Hutson had appeared before Magistrate Chandra Sohan at the Sparendaam Magistrates’ Court, where he was charged with unlawful possession of a firearm, unlawful possession of ammunition, uttering a forged instrument (gun licence), failing to produce vehicle licence and talking on cellular phone was driving.
He pleaded guilty to the traffic offences but denied the others.
According to reports on the day in question at around 9:30pm, police ranks stopped motor car PMM 3042, which was being driven by Hutson, at a road block at Turkeyen, East Coast Demerara. The ranks searched the vehicle and Hutson and an unlicensed 9mm Glock pistol with 10 matching rounds were reportedly found. It was also discovered that Hutson was unlicensed to drive a motor car and he subsequently produced a gun license which was allegedly forged.
In 2008, police had issued wanted bulletin for the businessman and two other men for questioning into the discovery of high-powered arms and ammunition at a Regent Street house.
He subsequently turned himself in accompanied by his lawyer but was released on bail several days later and was never charged.
In 2007 Hutson’s name had surfaced when Trinidadian David ‘Buffy’ Millard was found hiding out in a house at Nandy Park. Millard had reportedly told investigators that he was working for Hutson who could not be found at the time.
Reports indicated that Millard was a bodyguard of Hutson and was at one time the general manager of his Lombard Street business. This business was also searched during Joint Services’ raids last year. The Joint Services had also targeted a number of locations associated with Hutson, following Millard’s arrest.
Jamaat al Muslimeen member Millard had been on the run from the authorities in Trinidad since 2003 and it is believed that he was in Guyana since that time. He was wanted in connection with the murder of Jilla Bowen and the attempted murder of Rasheed and Adel Ghany on June 4, 2003 at MovieTowne in Trinidad. He was acquitted of the charges during his court trial last year.
On January 14 2007 police issued wanted bulletins for Hutson and several other men among them ex-policeman Ricardo Rodrigues, whose name had surfaced in 2006 when the police had issued bulletins for businessman, Roger Khan, Gerald Pereira and Paul Rodrigues. Khan and Paul Rodrigues along Lloyd Roberts were later caught in Suriname during a drug bust. Four days after, Hutson was arrested along with Danesh ‘Sunil’ Persaud and Sheldon Chase.
In May 2006 the joint services had raided a property which is said to be connected to the businessman and several items were found. Six persons were arrested during the search but Hutson was not among them.
Roberts and Belfield
Both Lloyd Roberts and Sean Belfield, former policemen, were sought over the 2009 murders of Romeo De Agrella and Clint De Agrella. The decomposing remains of the De Agrellas, of Grant Strong Hope, Lower Pomeroon River, were found on March 23, 2009, days after they failed to return home.
While Belfield was never arrested, Roberts was charged with the murders but the charge was discharged earlier this year and he was immediately re-arrested for questioning into the murders of political activist Ronald Waddell and former boxing coach Donald Allison.
Waddell was murdered on January 31, 2006 outside his Subryanville home. During the trial of Roger Khan, who is currently serving three concurrent 15 year sentences, it was said that he [Khan] ordered the execution of Waddell and Donald Allison.
In April 2008, Belfield was said to be an auto sales company employee when he appeared in the Magistrates’ Court for allegedly stealing a car worth $2.8 million. He was later placed on a bond to keep the peace for two years. Belfield, whose address was given as 83 Garnett Street, Kitty, had pleaded not guilty to the charge of robbery. It was alleged that on April 3, Belfield robbed Marlon Blake of motor vehicle PKK 3481.
In June 2006, both Roberts and Belfield were held in neighbouring Suriname after a cocaine bust. They were held along with Khan and former policemen Paul Rodrigues. Khan was expelled from that country and intercepted by US officials en route to Guyana while Belfield and the others remained in Suriname for an extended period. They were later deported to Guyana and pleaded guilty on the charge of illegal departure and were fined $20,000 each.
Belfield is no stranger to the public and he became known back in December 2002 when he, Roger Khan and Haroon Yahya were held after the discovery of sophisticated electronic surveillance equipment and a high powered arms cache in a pick-up at Good Hope, East Coast Demerara. At the time of their arrest, they had told law enforcement officials that they were in search of Shawn Brown and the other prison escapees who had fled the Camp Street prison earlier that year. The trio was later charged with possession of arms and ammunition but the case against them was subsequently dismissed the following year.
In February 2006, Belfield’s four-year-old daughter, Mackenzie ‘Tiffany’ Belfield, had been reportedly kidnapped from the Kingston Nursery School. The child was later returned to her parents’ residence by unknown persons in a motor vehicle. A few days later, then Commissioner of Police Winston Felix labelled the kidnapping as staged.
De Abrue
De Abrue, who is the proprietor of Marcos Trading, had appeared in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court last December charged with behaving disorderly at the scene of the Roopa’s bar shooting that left one man dead and another wounded. His lawyer, Mark Waldron, had told the court that around 3 am on the day of the shooting De Abrue received a call informing him that his nephew and his friend had been shot. He noted that his client and his father then rushed to the scene of the incident where they saw two bodies lying on the ground and a man with a gun over one of the bodies about to kick it. The two men lying on the ground were Hewley Nicholas Barker and Mark Caesar. Caesar and De Abrue were said to be good friends.
A wanted bulletin was also issued for Rodrigues during 2006 along with many others and he had later turned himself into the police and was subsequently charged with being in possession of military gear, a charge which was subsequently dismissed. In May 2009 the Customs Anti Narcotics Unit had issued a wanted bulletin for Dennis Edwards of 341, North East La Penitence.
