While another suspect was yesterday arrested in Curacao in connection with the US$11.5 million gold heist from a Guyana-registered cargo ship almost two months ago, sources yesterday revealed that the Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) report compiled by its officers will not be presented to the public.
“The report is done and given to the Minister but it is not for the public so whatever is said will have to come from the minister” an official from the GGMC told Stabroek News yesterday.
Several efforts to contact Minister of Natural Resources and the Environment, Robert Persaud proved futile. Calls to his mobile phone were met with a voice recording.
The source stated that the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment will now use the report, on the investigative work performed by its two officers who visited Curacao, for its own edification and to share with local police to plan on the next move.
Meanwhile Curacao police spokesperson Reggie Huggins told Stabroek News yesterday that a businessman was added to the list of arrestees. He is currently in the lock ups, and will remain there while investigations are ongoing to ascertain his role in the heist. The 51-year-old man whose initials are G.A.R .P was arrested at his home and searches were conducted both at his residence and his business place. At the latter Huggins informed “a whole lot of cash was found.”
The six other persons, with initials G.R. (43), A. D. (46), M.P.B. (45), J.S. (44), L. S. (28) R. P. and (46) , implicated in the snatching of US$11.5 million worth of gold bars was recently told that they will have to spend an additional 60 days behind bars pending an ongoing probe on the Dutch Caribbean Island.
Huggins had said that the six, one from Bonaire, two from Venezuela and the others from Curacao could be held longer if police showed just cause why they should be. He also stated that a quantity of gold had been confiscated during the operation which led to their arrests.
Asked yesterday about the crew of the vessel, Summer Bliss, which transported the gold, Huggins, reiterated what he said from the beginning of the investigation which is that he did not know nor was he interested as they were ruled out as suspects.
The police there would not release the names of the crewmembers, since they stated that the investigation was a sensitive one. However, a crew member who gave his name as Raymond Emmanuel had reportedly told AP that the crew left Guyana on November 26, bound for Curacao. AP had also reported Public Relations Officer of the Public Prosecutor‘s office in Curacao Norman Serphos reaffirming what Huggins had said “We did not confiscate this boat. If the crew wants to leave, they can do so,” he said.
An immigration official opined that the crew’s time had possibly expired as their maximum stay on the island would have been one month. However it was stated that Curacao’s laws provided for multiple extensions, of the same duration, once sufficient reason was given by the applicant to justify the extension of stay.
