SabuTaro Singh, one of the accused in the $400 million gold theft case, was last evening stabbed to death as he was vending on Regent Street in front of Pressy’s building.
Twenty-two-year-old Singh, called ‘Mark Singh’ or ‘Pappy’, a labourer/vendor of Herstelling Sea Dam, East Bank Demerara (EBD), was stabbed once in his neck around 6.30 pm.
His death startled the scores of persons who were doing Christmas shopping in the area. The incident, passersby explained, happened without any commotion. It was not until Singh collapsed on the ground that an alarm was raised.
According to reports, Singh’s attacker walked up to him and stabbed him in the neck before fleeing. The victim, this newspaper was told, was sitting on a chair next to his stall. After being stabbed he got up to seek help but collapsed two steps away from the chair he was sitting on.
His sister, who asked not to be named, told this newspaper at the scene last night that persons attempted to save her brother but their efforts were in vain.
“I don’t know how it happen tonight [last night] but it was a deep wound at the side of his neck and people try to help he but they couldn’t,” his distraught sister recounted.
On their arrival at the scene, police found Singh’s body in a pool of blood lying on the pavement. He was removed from the scene by undertakers and taken to the Memorial Gardens funeral home.
At the scene of the crime last night, family members on arrival, broke down in tears as they saw Singh’s lifeless body on the pavement. His mother was inconsolable and had to be removed from the scene by police in order for them to perform their duties.
According to his sister, her brother’s alleged involvement in the gold heist is the motive behind his death. She explained that his life has been under threat for some time now.
The sister said that on one occasion, he and a friend were attacked and the friend was stabbed. She recalled that just over a month ago, he was shot in his buttocks.
“A guy went to his house in Herstelling and said `Pappy’, he was in the hammock and when he looked back, the guy fire three shots at him and one catch him in his butt… we weren’t there but he had to go to the Georgetown Hospital for treatment,” she related.
She went on to say it was after he recovered and was released from the hospital, he started vending on the road near to his uncle.
Up to press time, there had been no statement by the police on the fatal stabbing.
Singh in October, was placed before the courts in connection with the gold theft from a Mahaica, East Coast Demerara dealer. He was jointly charged with Bisram Paul called ‘Marlon’, 44, a taxi driver of Parika Backdam, East Bank Essequibo.
They were charged jointly with stealing 1,000 ounces of raw gold from Bibi Acklema Goberdhan.
A number of suspects have since been charged in relation to the theft. They include Deo Kissoon called ‘Lolly’, 23, of Herstelling Sea Dam, East Bank Demerara (EBD), Daniel Ethon, 24, of Lot 30 ‘B’ Elijah, Corentyne, Berbice, and a 17-year-old of Farm Squatting Area, EBD.
During the early stages of the investigation, two other men, Satrohan Seegobin, called ‘Richie’, 24, a construction worker, of Lot 13 Farm, EBD, and his father, contractor Bhaloonauth Seegobin, 49, called ‘Krishna’, of the same address were charged.
Satrohan pleaded guilty and was sentenced to four years’ imprisonment while Bhaloonauth denied the allegation and was remanded to prison.
Several other suspects were arrested and questioned as part of the probe. They include two police officers from Berbice who were subsequently placed on open arrest.
Repairs
According to the police, Seegobin and Satrohan found the gold while conducting repairs on the home of Goberdhan, who they only identified as a businesswoman who has been a gold dealer for a number of years. She had not been named and no charge was brought against her even though she was in clear contravention of the law.
The police said during the period of December 2021 to January 2022, the woman had contracted the two suspects to conduct repairs on her home. During the work, they found the gold and divided it among themselves.
Police had said Goberdhan accumulated the gold at her Mahaica property over the years.
So far, investigators have been able to recover 98 ounces of raw gold and $6.6 million in cash.
While 28 ounces were found during the initial course of the investigation, another 70 were recovered in September. The report of the theft was made in early September.
Eight vehicles and other articles, including a gas stove, a washing machine, carpets, a dining set, a television and a stereo set, were also seized as part of the probe. It is believed that these items were purchased by the suspects with the proceeds of the crime.
Police disclosed that ranks of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) headquarters, were probing the theft which was suspected to have occurred between December last year and January this year.
The police said the men subsequently went on a shopping spree.
It remains unclear whether Goberdhan is being investigated although she could potentially face charges as well as the police said she had accumulated the raw gold and had concealed it at a location within her home over the years.
The Gold Board Act makes it illegal for persons who are not producers to have raw gold in their possession and stipulates that it must be sold to the Board or to any agent authorized in writing by the Board.
Sources say the gold in question belonged to a city gold dealer and some of the stolen gold had actually been resold to him.
