The police yesterday issued a bulletin for a Friendship, East Coast Demerara man over the death of guard, Gerald Sobers.
Ossaffo Chester, 22, is wanted by the police for questioning in relation to the murder of Sobers. Chester’s last known address is Lot 60 Friendship. Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to contact the police.
Sobers was shot on July 3rd and he succumbed on Saturday, three weeks after he was admitted to the Georgetown Public Hospital Intensive Care Unit (ICU.) He was paralysed from the shoulder down as a result of the gunshot wound and was put on a life support machine.
The suspect was at the time employed with OP Security Services (OPSS) when he was involved in the shooting incident. Stabroek News was reliably informed that the suspect was carrying a service weapon that is the property of OPPS. He subsequently resigned after the incident occurred, while Sobers was hospitalised.
Persaud (only name given) of OPSS, when contacted by Stabroek News on Sunday, related that Sobers had been employed with the company for only a few days and was on probation. He added that he had been unaware of the shooting incident but knew that Sobers had not been at work.
Prior to the incident, Sobers and the suspect were involved in a heated argument over an electric bike. The suspect then drew his service firearm and pointed it at Sobers. At the time of the incident, the suspect was on duty at a supermarket; the owner of the supermarket had then called the police and both men were arrested. They were granted bail and were expected to appear before the court on the Wednesday after the incident, which occurred on a Sunday.
After Sobers was hospitalised, an unknown person had called his cousin’s phone to discuss compensation. According to the victim’s sister, the person who called was presumed to be a lawyer and had detailed information about the shooting. She said they had related that information to the police.
The family said that they had requested that a wanted bulletin be issued for the suspect whose identity was made known to the police.
