A 26-year-old Cummings Lodge resident disappeared without a trace more than seven weeks ago and his family is fearful that he is a victim of foul play.
Sunday Stabroek was informed that Michael Banfus, of First Street, Cumming’s Lodge, East Coast Demerara was last seen alive on September 22nd.
To date there has been no sign of Banfus and calls to his phone go to voicemail.
A missing person’s report was filed at the Sparendaam Police Station on September 25.
Days after his disappearance, a friend of Banfus, who he was reportedly last seen with, committed suicide, thereby fueling further suspicion.
“I just thinking to myself somebody had to do Michael something or they kill my cousin and they bury my cousin that’s all wah I think, every day. You know sometimes tears does come out my eyes because we ain’t getting to find him,” Vianne Banfus, a cousin of Michael, re-cently told this newspaper.
Vianne explained that on the morning of September 22nd, Michael went to visit a relative at the Amerin-dian hostel in Georgetown. He was accompanied by his now dead friend.
She said she learnt that they subsequently left together and went to the Heritage Games, which were held at the Everest Cricket Club, where they were seen by another relative.
The following three days, Vianne said, Michael didn’t turn up to work. “On Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday he didn’t turn out to work,” she said.
As a result, she added, his colleagues became worried and tried reaching out to him but were unsuccessful.
They then ventured to his apartment.
“…They went there to visit his apartment thinking that Michael was there, [checking] if anybody do him anything there and he was there tie up or something because he don’t miss his work. He is always at work every day and there wasn’t a sign of Michael,” Vianne explained.
She said while there, the colleagues met with a roommate who relatives were never aware of.
“So far Michael never tell us he had a roommate also….he never introduce none of the family them to his friends, so we don’t know who he was liming around with,” Vianne said.
Vianne further explained that she later learnt that Michael’s friend who ended his life visited every weekend and would reportedly take him to Berbice often.
She said she last spoke to Michael on September 12th, when he video-called her to speak to her niece who was celebrating her birthday.
“Michael called us and every time this boy always happy. I don’t think he had a problem. Or I don’t know if he didn’t wanted to share his problem with the family,” Vianne said.
The woman noted that Michael’s disappearance has left the family puzzled.
She said the family believes that something is amiss since Michael is not known to disappearing for such long periods without informing anyone.
“….Even though if they did anything to Michael, we need to find his body or we need to know his whereabouts because it is so hard to lose someone just like that, just disappear, just like that,” Vianne said.
Vianne said last Tuesday she and other relatives met with Commissioner of Police Leslie James and subsequently Commander of Region 4 (a) Marlon Chapman, who promised a police investigation into Michael’s disappearance.
