The police in Berbice have arrested three suspects who they believe were behind a vicious Christmas Day robbery in Black Bush Polder, which left an elderly couple nursing injuries about their bodies.
The three men are expected to be placed before the court today.
Marvin Duncan, 79, owner of a general store and parlour at Lot 135 ‘A’ Zambia, Mibicuri South, Black Bush Polder, yesterday related that on Christmas Day, three men invaded his home and stole over $500,000 in cash and jewellery, along with several other items.
Duncan revealed that the masked men, armed with a gun each and one cutlass, carried out the attack. The perpetrators assaulted Duncan and his wife about their bodies.
Duncan, who sustained six head wounds, is now receiving treatment (dressing of wounds) every morning at the Mibicuri Public Hospital.
Yesterday, the man related to this newspaper that he had just locked his shop around 9 pm, and had decided to loose his dogs, when he suddenly saw a man standing in front of him. “Me hold the gun and say, ‘Aye man, why ayo always with ayo dam stupidness a come shop now’, not knowing is the gun me hold,” he related.
Duncan recalled that the perpetrator then used the gun to deal him a lash to his head, “then he give me one next lash again, one next lash again and me fall—‘wap’”.
The elderly man further recalled that he started to bleed immediately, which led to him pleading with the perpetrator to stop beating him. “Me ask them why them beating this old man. Me tell them let them go take what they want”, he said.
However, he noted that the bandit paid no attention to him but rather continued to deal him lashes to his head. “Then he drag me to the kitchen. Me wife been in the shop but while me lay down, them mask come down and me say me know them boys this but me na talk let them know,” he stated.
He explained that after one perpetrator noticed that he was looking in their direction, he used a rice bag to cover his face, as they repeatedly cursed at him. “I say like them boys mean to kill me here…But when he left and go back to search I raise the bag and peep at them,” he recalled.
According to Duncan’s wife, Claudette Duncan, 66, the men demanded cash and jewellery from her. “Them say, ‘Weh all the money? Weh all the money? This is all the money? This is the blood cloth money? Weh the gold? Gimme the ring’”, she recalled.
Duncan said the men carted off over $300,000 in cash, three gold rings, one pair of gold bangles, one gold cricket band and one gold chain, along with one case of Tropical Rhythm juice, one sack of cigarettes and one battery.
Meanwhile, after Duncan identified the men to investigators, they were quickly arrested.
Although Duncan yesterday praised the division’s lawmen for their investigative work, he said he did not approve of the ranks at the Mibicuri Station allowing the perpetrators to approach him to settle the matter. “The police bring them out at the station when them call me and one (perpetrator) ask me how much money me lost, he gone give me back. Me tell he them got to know how much money me lost,” said Duncan.
“I want this matter to go through. I will see it out. I want it go to court and even if them put on bail I will follow it out. I ain’t settling this matter”, Duncan stressed yesterday.
In October, 2017, Duncan suffered over $22 million in losses after his house went up in flames.
Duncan had told Stabroek News that he had suspected that a fellow resident was responsible for the fire, since he had spoken out against the man, who is a known drug addict.
In 2017, he had explained that he did not approve of the drug addict encouraging teenagers in the area to follow him, which had led to him speaking out, which then resulted in several issues with the man.
Duncan yesterday said, “Them go kill me and done in this village”.
Meanwhile, residents of Black Bush Polder called for more patrolling to be done in the area. One woman who lost her motorcycle last Saturday, said, “I call and them say the (police) vehicle was down, nobody can’t come and that is every time thing”. The residents called for senior officers within the division to look into the Mibicuri Police Station, which they said needs an immediate overhaul.
