The two Kato-based policemen who were murdered last month had taken a substantial amount of money from a Brazilian miner who has since vanished, Crime Chief Seelall Persaud said yesterday.
Several other Brazilian miners are being sought in connection with the case but according to Persaud, investigators are being hampered by the fact that all they have for these persons are call names.
Based on what Persaud told Stabroek News, the money sparked the murders of constables Marlon Letlow and Leadon Aaron who were both shot prior to their deaths. Aaron was also tied to a tree trunk and burnt.
Contacted for an update on the case, he said “it has been confirmed that they demanded money ($300, 000) from a miner who owns an excavator”.
It was explained to Stabroek News that the two ranks went to the miner and told him that his machinery was breaking up the roadway and subsequently demanded money from him.
The roadway, he said is located somewhere in the Paramakatoi area where the ranks were later found dead.
According to Persaud, the miner’s son was later arrested and during questioning it was he who confirmed the reports about the money. He added that all the other people (who are Brazilian nationals) who have information about the case have disappeared.
Shortly after the discovery of the bodies the crime chief had told this newspaper that ranks had been receiving several bits of information including reports that the two had perpetrated a robbery but he noted that the police were still investigating.
The two ranks according to reports left the Kato Police Station, Region Eight on an All Terrain Vehicle (ATV) on patrol duties on October 14 and never returned.
Two days later police received information that an upturned ATV with its headlamps on was found in the Paramakatoi, North Pakaraimas area. It had apparently been spotted by a Brazilian man who was passing the area at the time.
The man also spotted blood on the vehicle but saw no one.
Some time on the following day, the bloodied bodies of the two men were found in the general area. Letlow a 27-year-old father of one was found lying face down with gunshot wounds to his back while Aaron aged 25, was found tied to a still smoking tree trunk a short distance away.
In addition to being shot in the head, Aaron’s entire upper body was badly burnt. He had been stationed in the interior area for just over two years while Letlow had been there for six weeks.
Police had said in a press release, “The service Carbine that had been uplifted by Constable Marlon Letlow was recovered along with eight rounds and eight spent shells. The .38 service revolver that had been uplifted by Constable Leadon Aaron has not been found.”
The release added that one spent 12-gauge shotgun cartridge had been found at the scene, and the Force‘s ATV had been recovered.
The police said that Letlow was reinstated in the Force on August 6 this year. He had been interdicted from duty after being charged following investigations into the robbery and murder of two gold miners at Bartica on September 5, 2010.
Constable Letlow, the release said, was initially charged with being an “accessory after the fact” which was subsequently withdrawn and a charge of “receiving stolen property” instituted.
This matter was dismissed by the court on May 15, this year.
Relatives of the dead men over the weekend had said that the Force was keeping them in the dark and were being unsympathetic.
