An Angoy’s Avenue, New Amsterdam man suspected of involvement in a robbery at Kimbia, Berbice River was beaten by residents of the community and succumbed on Saturday last.
The dead man has been identified as former prison inmate Kwame Bhagwandin, 39.
Details surrounding his death remain sketchy and his family last night told Stabroek News that they are calling for justice and a thorough investigation from the police to provide answers.
“They see him as a stranger in the village and they just say he was a part of the robbery and they beat him. Beat him and tie him up like a dog… that is meh son. That is what they do meh son and unto now I don’t know how he dead,” his mother Donna Liddle last night told Stabroek News in an interview.
Three days after the incident there has been no official report from the police and Deputy Communications Director, Stan Gouveia told this newspaper that they are awaiting clarity from the investigators in Region 6 before releasing the information.
Stabroek News understands that Bhagwandin was detained by villagers during a search in the aftermath of a brutal robbery on a family that operates a boating business in the Berbice River.
The home of the Gladstone family was invaded on Friday night by a gang of men who ransacked the upper flat and escaped with an undisclosed amount of cash and jewellery. The brothers, who are boat captains operate a service on the Berbice River.
Rayon Gladstone yesterday told Stabroek News that the invasion occurred at approximately 11.30 on Friday and lasted for an estimated two hours.
He said that he had opened his door to turn off their generator before retiring to bed but as he was about to do that he saw two men walking in the yard and he called out to them.
“I call out and ask `who is that?’ and with that they charge at me and I run up and lock the back door and they run behind me and started to lash up the door and windows trying to get in,” Rayon explained. He added that while the men were attempting to get into the house from the front door, he, his wife and his brother Ryan Gladstone secured themselves in one of the bedrooms.
The bandits eventually managed to kick open the front door of the house. They immediately demanded cash and jewellery, Rayon said, and started to ransack the home.
“Two of them jumped up and saw us in the room through the spindles on the wall and they point the gun through and ask for the money. I tek whatever money I had and start giving them but at the same time they were trying to break open the bedroom door,” he related.
According to him, the men managed to gain entry to the room and started to beat them while asking for money and jewellery. “I keep telling them that is all the money we have but they keep saying no we have more money… they chop me and choke my wife and they just keep beating us and asking for money,” he said.
Rayon said he was tied up with wire and a belt during the ordeal. He was later freed by his wife.
Ryan told this newspaper that even after they told the men on several occasions that they did not have more money they continued asking.
“One of them come and jump on my back and chopped me on by back and in my head before leaving me in the room…while they were ransacking the house I try to loose out myself…”, he recounted.
Ryan stated that sometime after he realized the commotion in the living quarters had died down and it was at that point he released himself from the shackles and went to seek help.
“I come and I didn’t see them but when I run down stairs they were there but I didn’t stop. I didn’t look right or look left I run to the back of the yard, cut through the fence and went to get help but by time I come back they had already flee the scene,” he stated.
He noted that as the news spread across the community residents came out and joined the search for the perpetrators.
During the course of the morning, Rayon said he along with his wife and brother went to the community health centre for medical attention.
“We come back like after 1 and people were still in the area talking about what happened. After being up all night and being in pain we went and take some rest but like I was about to doze off I heard a commotion and somebody come and tell me they catch one of the men but I didn’t pay no attention,” Ryan related.
He stated that with the commotion distracting him from his sleep, he got up and saw that the villagers had a man tied up. At the same time, he said the police were also on the scene.
When asked by this newspaper if he knew the man, he responded in the negative and stated that the villagers suspected he was a part of the robbery since he was not known to them.
Bhagwandin was then taken into custody by police and escorted to New Amsterdam.
“Bhaggie”
On Saturday afternoon, Bhagwandin’s mother said she received a call asking the whereabouts of “Bhaggie” but she told the caller she was unaware.
Not long after she said someone went to her with a picture asking her to identify the person in it.
“I couldn’t see it too clear so another boy bring his phone and show and I [zoom in] and see my son tie up. He hands at the back and his foot tie up to his back and he lying down with sheer blood on his face… I asking wah going on wah going on but nobody didn’t really know,” the mother related.
Liddle told this newspaper that she rushed down to the Central Police Station in New Amsterdam but when she got there, the officer at enquiries told her no report had been made of any serious crime.
She stated that she left and went home and approximately half an hour later, she received another call informing her that the police were bringing her son’s body to the stelling.
“I rushed to the stelling but by time I reach there police put him in a van and carry he to New Amsterdam Hospital. My other son who works there managed to identify him… and they said he had to go to Arokium Funeral Parlour. I go there but the police ain’t allow me to see him and they didn’t even answer any questions they drive away,” the distraught mother said.
An autopsy performed on his body yesterday gave his cause of death as multiple injuries and ruled that it was a homicide.
The grieving mother yesterday said that she is still clueless as to how her son met his demise as she has been hearing different stories on what transpired.
“The police has to come and tell me or the public how my son died. Since Saturday to now nobody hasn’t said anything to us. We don’t know what happened, we don’t know”, she cried.
“Police knows him because his entire life he living with trumped up charges. He was on how much charges when he get chopped up and burned in prison and he dead now and still get charges in prison…all because the police don’t do good investigation,” the mother lamented.
Bhagwandin was one of four inmates disfigured in an attack at the New Amsterdam Prison on May 23, 2014. On that day, four inmates of the New Amsterdam Prison had to be hospitalized after they were brutally attacked by what is believed to be a six-member gang who doused them with acid and chopped them about their bodies.
Bhagwandin had faced a series of charges for armed robbery in the Berbice courts and is well-known to the police.
