The Ordnance/Fort Lands Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) was broken into early yesterday morning and $1.2m which was supposed to be paid to part-time workers and $141,000 in stipends and taxes were stolen.
According to information gathered, two men, one armed with a handgun invaded the NDC located along the Cumberland Public Road in East Canje Berbice at around 3 am yesterday and held the guard at gunpoint.
Stabroek News was told, that while one bandit stood with the guard downstairs, the other broke into the NDC building which is secured with a hasp and staple, and stole the money after which they both escaped on the bicycle they arrived on.
Chairman of the NDC, Roy Jafarally yesterday said that the $1.2m was delivered late Wednesday to be paid out to workers at 9 am yesterday.
He explained that a neighbour next to the NDC heard loud banging and after investigating was informed by the guard that the “gunman had him inside of the guard hut and one went upstairs.”
An alarm was then raised and it was subsequently discovered that the canister where they kept the monies, cheque books, and various keys for the NDC’s tractors had been broken into and the monies had been stolen.
Jafarally opined that the situation is looking along the lines of “where information was provided” adding that the NDC had never been robbed or vandalized in the past.
He said that around twenty staff who worked on Wednesday had knowledge of the large sum of money being present at the location.
“Apparently the person walked straight into the overseer office, know where the canister was and picked it up and just break it open”, he noted.
The NDC is not outfitted with any CCTV cameras.
The police have launched an investigation but no arrest has yet been made.
