The business community and residents of Linden were yesterday given the assurance that the Guyana Police Force will redouble its efforts to apprehend the lone gunman who fatally shot one of Linden’s leading businessman two weeks ago.
The assurance was given by Prime Minister Samuel Hinds while paying tribute at the funeral service for Albert ‘Bolo’ Joseph at the Mackenzie Sports Club Ground in Linden. Hinds told the scores of residents, relatives, friends and entrepreneurs who had come out to support the businessman’s family that he had conferred with the Minister of Home Affairs, Clement Rohee, who had given the assurance that the force would do all in its power to ensure justice for the bereaved family of Joseph.
According to Hinds, Joseph was one of the businessmen who looked beyond the bauxite industry to development of himself and the community of Linden and in so doing providing employment for a number of residents. He recounted Joseph’s start as a businessman in the early 1970s providing lighting services before establishing the thriving general store at Sun Flower Street, Wismar, Linden where he was fatally shot by a lone bandit.
Regional Chairman Mortimer Mingo declared that the contributions made by Joseph towards the development of Region 10 were immeasurable. He challenged Joseph’s successors to let the legacy set by the now deceased businessman live on and grow from success to success.
Among the many persons who were present and gave tributes was proprietor of McRae’s General Store Brian McRae who called on other businessmen in the community to come together and look out for each other. He said that presently the business community at Linden is divided and Joseph’s death should awaken it to come together. He also called on the police to do their best to ensure that the person responsible for shooting and robbing the businessman is brought to justice.
Joseph, 50, succumbed to a single gunshot wound on January 7th after he was shot on January 3rd and robbed of $10,000, a gold chain and cell phone in a daring afternoon robbery. Four days later, a lone gunman swooped on the A&R Cosmetics Store at Dageraad Avenue, Mackenzie carting off over
$100,000 cash and jewellery. No one was hurt during that robbery. Police at Linden have since been following every possible lead in their efforts to capture the bandit or bandits. They are working on the theory that it might have been the same gunman who robbed both stores.
Bolo has left to mourn his grandmother, mother, nine children and close friends and relatives.
