More wanted men were detained yesterday while police arrested three other persons for questioning about recent executions.
Crime Chief Seelall Persaud, giving an update on the 15 men wanted for questioning about the murders, said that only two—ex-policeman Sean Belfield and David Charran—are yet to be questioned. Belfield’s last known addresses are Lot 23 Queen Street, Kitty, Lot 83 Garnett Street, Newtown Kitty and Henrietta, Essequibo Coast, while Charran is said to be from Pomeroon, Essequibo.
Persaud was unable to provide the names of those who surrendered yesterday.
Meanwhile, Stabroek News has learnt that owner of the Blue Iguana Night Club, Royston Peniston, called ‘Joe’, who was among those wanted for questioning, was released late Saturday night after turning himself over to police that morning.
This newspaper was yesterday told that police arrested three other persons but their identities and details surrounding their detention are unknown.
Police last Thursday issued wanted bulletins for Bramanand Nandalall Rambrichie called ‘Bramma;’ Clayton Hutson; Mark De Abreu; Ricardo Rodrigues; Lloyd Roberts; Dennis Edwards Jnr; John De Santos, Belfield and Charran. Roberts, Rodrigues and Belfield, who are all ex-policemen, are known associates of convicted drug lord Roger Khan. The following day bulletins were issued for West Demerara businessman Salim Juman Azeez; Paul Daby (Snr), Paul Daby (Jnr) called ‘Randell’; Peter Daby, called ‘Spiderman’; Peniston and Shervington Lovell called ‘Big Head.’
Six of eight men who had either surrendered with counsel or were arrested were released on $100, 000 bail last Saturday night, hours after their lawyers approached the High Court seeking their immediate release. Acting Chief Justice Ian Chang called on the police to show cause why the men should not be released and had scheduled another hearing for yesterday. Those released were Rambrichie, Azeez, Hutson, Edwards, Rodrigues and Roberts.
Lawyers for the now released men have expressed outrage at the allegations as well as the decision by the police to issue wanted bulletins for them.
According to attorney Nigel Hughes, police were just “rounding up the usual suspects.”
Another lawyer, Glen Hanoman had told this newspaper that the police do not have the power to issue a wanted bulletin for someone for questioning.
He explained that the police could only issue a bulletin if they have evidence against a person. “That is unlawful [the issuing of the bulletins],” he had said adding that he will be contemplating taking the police to court over this situation because it is becoming “ridiculous”.
Police have been unable to make a breakthrough in the three incidents, which claimed eight lives. According to Persaud, they are all linked. He said five of the six men killed were associates and “would’ve worked for the same people”. Ballistics tests have revealed that the same gun was used in the two latest shootings.
On September 4, five persons including a 23-year-old woman and her three-year-old son, were killed in an execution-style attack. 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 was 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.
His relatives have said that they are clueless as to the motive behind his death.
Last Monday, gunmen opened fire on a car transporting Patrick Goodluck and Godfrey Grootfaam. The two men died almost instantly from multiple gunshot wounds.
