Two suspects in the kidnapping of a Berbice baby were released from police custody yesterday after the mother of the child told police that the woman held did not match the appearance of the prime suspect
Speaking with Stabroek News, Sandra Mclean, the mother of the baby boy, said she and her husband travelled yesterday to Police Headquarters at Eve Leary, Georgetown to identify the two persons after their detention on the West Demerara.
She said she saw a photograph of one of the persons in custody while she met the other.
Mohammed Gafoor, the husband of Bibi Khan, a former Sales Representative at Multi Technology Vision (Channel 65), who was taken into police custody on Wednesday evening said that his wife has just left home and was on her way to attend Islamic Classes when she was approached by Police officers attached to the Leonora Police Station.
The man said the officers inquired the woman’s name and then took her down to the station. He said he later went to the Leonora Police Station where he too was questioned.
Gafoor said officers asked his wife for a valid Guyanese identification and then asked him for his Identification. Mohammed explained that he is a Surinamese national and thus only had Suriname identification.
After handing over his identification to the Police ranks, Mohammed said that he was released but informed by the ranks that his wife would remain in police custody until the investigations into whether she was involved in the kidnapping were completed.
The man said later in the evening, Police ranks transferred his wife to the Den Amstel Police Station and kept her for the night. He said he opted to sleep in the prison compound to ensure the safety of his wife but was told by police officers to leave the compound.
He added that on Wednesday night, he slept outside of the Den Amstel Police station and early yesterday morning he investigated the matter and subsequently got into contact with the parents of the baby boy.
He said when he called the couple, they assured him that they were travelling to Georgetown and would venture to the Police Station to check on his wife’s identity. The man said he does not know what sort of mix-up happened and cannot fathom why his wife was arrested but is thankful the entire ordeal is over.
Khan and the other person who was arrested were released around 4:00pm yesterday afternoon.
McLean viewed a photo of Khan since she was at the Den Amstel Police station and was not taken to Eve Leary.
Mclean called “Pinky,” 22, of Number 60 Village, Corentyne told Stabroek News that she gave birth to a baby boy on May 16th at the Skeldon Public Hospital. She said that whilst at the hospital, a woman called Bibi Khan from Nickerie, Suriname visited her and told her that she had a nice baby.
On Saturday, Mclean said, she was making some preparations for the Ninth day celebrations when Khan hurriedly went to her home and told her to dress the baby as they were going to go to Rose Hall Town to get some items for the celebration.
Mclean recalled that they went to the town and picked up some items. Before they left to return home, they stopped at the Port Mourant market to get some hassar after the woman said she would like to have some. The young mother explained that she went in the market and bought the hassar after Khan insisted that she would keep the baby. The woman had stated that if the baby was taken to the fish section of the market, he would be upset with the scent, Mclean recounted.
She said that she agreed and went to buy the hassar but upon returning to the meeting point, she realised that Khan and her baby was missing. Mclean said that she did not expect anything like this to happen. In tears, the mother recalled that she searched the entire market and surrounding areas for her baby. The woman said her efforts to find her baby were in vain.
After realising that the baby was missing, the woman alerted her family and went to the Whim Police station and reported the matter.
