Two days after the suspected arson carried out on the vehicle of TV News reporter Travis Chase, further information surrounding the fire is yet to be made known to the public.
The 32 year-old reporter at HGP Nightly News and Executive Director of Adolphus Mining Incorporated, was on Monday morning awakened by the calls of a female security guard who was on duty in the compound where the vehicle was parked.
The new 2020 Honda CRV was one of several vehicles that were parked in the compound of the Scholarships Division of the Department of Public Service at the time of the incident. Chase explained to this newspaper that he would usually park his vehicles in the government office’s compound and has been doing so for just about five years. It is unclear who gave him permission to do this. The other vehicles parked in the compound were also severely damaged by the blaze.
It is unclear who may have to stand the cost for the damage done to the ministry’s vehicles that were parked in the compound at the time of fire.
This newspaper attempted to contact the Permanent Secretary of the department, Soyinka Grogan on these matters, but to no avail as Stabroek News was informed that she was engaged in a “discussion” and would be unable to take calls.
Calls to senior ranks of the Guyana Police Force yesterday also proved to be futile. However Region Four (a) Commander Senior Superintendent Phillip Azore confirmed on Monday that an investigation is ongoing.
Chase told Stabroek News that he was asleep when he heard calls outside his home at around 2:45 am. His vehicle was said to be the only vehicle that was set ablaze. “I live a short distance away [and] when I ran over, my vehicle alone was set on fire,” Chase recounted.
Surveillance footage seen by this newspaper shows an individual setting an unknown item on fire and then throwing it onto the vehicle owned by Chase.
