– cites conflicting reports from ranks, residents
By Bhisham Mohamed
Leroy Brumell
Amid conflicting accounts as to what led to the killing of two suspected bandits by police early Sunday morning at Grove, East Bank Demerara, Police Commissioner Leroy Brumell has announced that a full investigation has been launched by the force.
The investigation is being conducted by the Office for Professional Responsibility (OPR) and the Criminal Investigation Department (CID). Brumell told media operatives that the OPR and CID have been ordered to conduct investigations into the conflicting reports, which surfaced hours after the shooting. The conflicting reports stemmed from a press statement issued by the Guyana Police Force, which suggested that the men were approaching on foot when one of them pulled out a handgun and opened fire on ranks and in retaliation they returned fire, killing the two men.
But according to media reports, Paul Bascom of Diamond Housing Scheme, EBD, and Alberto Grant of Meadow Brook, Georgetown were actually killed in the yard of the businessman and were removed by undertakers some four hours later.
Commenting on the issue, Brumell said he had no new information with respect to the shooting but was hoping to get some soon. He said once information is available, he will brief the media.
When asked for a comment on the contradictions between the police report and those of the villagers, he confirmed that the men were shot in the businessman’s yard.
“The men were approaching on foot in the yard and the police challenged them, because the police were also in the yard,” the police chief added.
Tip-off
The two men were allegedly planning to invade the property of the miner.
In a statement, police disclosed that they were acting on information received that a robbery was planned hence, ranks staked out the area at Golden Grove.
The police added that a .38 snub-nose revolver with two live rounds and two spent shells, along with one 9mm round and two 7.62 x 39 rounds were recovered at the scene.
The father of Alberto Grant, when contacted, stated that his son was killed a few houses from where he worked. He said he was not sure exactly how his son was killed owing to the conflicting reports, but was sure that he was not a bandit.
He also noted that the businessman knew his son and they would talk periodically.
Grant was also baffled as to how his son and the other man got into the businessman’s yard, claiming that the fence is high and the property is protected by dogs. His son, he added, was talented and worked hard for his money.
During the conversation, the man told Guyana Times International that he was making arrangements for his son’s funeral. He said that from information received, his son was shot thrice to the head allegedly at close range.
Attempts to make contact with relatives of Bascom proved futile. Based on records, he was charged last year for the armed robbery committed on a Diamond businesswoman.
