Investigators are currently reviewing CCTV footage which captured the killing of gold dealer, Ricardo Fagundes, who was riddled with bullets by two men outside of the Palm Court on Main Street on Sunday night.
Police sources told Stabroek News that no arrest has yet been made.
The shooting took place around 10pm.
According to the police, investigations revealed that Fagundes also known as ‘Paper shorts’, 42, a resident of Sandy Babb Street, Kitty was having drinks with a colleague in Palm Court when he received a call on his cell phone.
Shortly after exiting Palm Court, the police said several loud explosions, suspected to be gunshots were heard. Fagundes was later found lying in a pool of blood on the road. His body bore several gunshots.
Police recovered several spent shells at the scene.
In the surveillance footage seen by Stabroek News, Fagundes was seen walking towards a black vehicle, which was parked in front of Palm Court.
As he approached the vehicle, two gunmen emerged from a white motor car parked on the eastern carriageway of Main Street, ran towards him and opened fire. After several shots, Fagundes collapsed. However, the gunmen still continued to shoot at him, running to the front of the vehicle where Fagundes lay.
Shortly after, one of the gunmen rushed back to the getaway car and entered the front passenger seat. His accomplice, then ran towards Fagundes, stood over him and discharged more rounds before he re-entered the waiting motorcar. The circumstances reflect that there was a `hit’ put out on Fagundes. The police have in the past been unsuccessful in tackling these types of attacks which bear the hallmark of organised crime.
The car sped away along Main Street.
It is unclear whether the vehicle which Fagundes was walking towards belonged to him or whether he was going to meet someone who was in the vehicle. However, after the shooting, no one was seen exiting the vehicle.
Fagundes was a close associate of convicted drug trafficker Roger Khan.
In 2017, Fagundes was arrested and questioned by the police in relation to the more than $900M fraud charge in relation to a local bank for which his acquaintance, miner Saddiqi Rasul was charged.
Rasul, the owner of SSS Minerals Trading was on April 3, 2017 charged with six counts of fraud.
It was alleged that between March 21 and March 22, at Bartica, with intent to defraud, Rasul obtained from the Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry $96 million, $290 million, $89 million, $45 million, $298 million and $138 million by falsely pretending that he had cash in a Citizens Bank account to honour corresponding Citizens Bank cheques.
Fagundes was also a well-known motor biker.
The Guyana Motor Racing and Sports Club (GMR&SC), in a statement on its Facebook page said that the motor racing fraternity lost Fagundes in an “untimely” and “senseless” manner.
They said Fagundes was a “key element” of the biking community, who was always present at every event whether he was participating or just supporting fellow bikers.
“He was always a very jovial person and there was always a guarantee that he would light up a room and make everyone laugh whenever he was around. He will be missed by us all,” the statement said.
GMR&SC expressed condolences to his family and friends.
