Slain businessman Mark “Marky” Kandhai was a suspected trunker who was charged twice for the offence, Crime Chief Seelall Persaud said on Monday, May 23.
Kandhai, of Industry, East Coast Demerara, was killed execution- style on Saturday morning, May21, in his shop.
Kandhai was charged with larceny (‘trunking’ – robbing cars), and was on the police radar for some time.
The 31-year-old father of six was reportedly in his shop attending to customers who were imbibing in front of the businessplace, when, at about 02:00h on Saturday, a Toyota Fielder stopped a short distance from the premises, and a man disembarked and headed towards the shop.
Slain businessman Mark Kandhai
Upon reaching the counter, the man paid the businessman for two bottles of Guinness, and as the businessman turned around to go to the refrigerator, the man shot him. Footage on a surveillance camera revealed that, within a matter of eight seconds, the killer pulled out a .9mm nickel pistol and discharged three rounds at the businessman. Immediately thereafter, the assailant escaped in the waiting vehicle, which headed in the direction of the city.
Sources confirmed that Kandhai’s death was not in any way connected to the recent killing of Bedi Ramjewan, a businessman of Crown Dam, Industry, ECD as was rumoured.
Speaking with Guyana Times International on Monday, Persaud revealed that, up to the time of Kandhai’s death, he was being closely monitored by the police, who suspected that he was part of an organised group which indulge in illegal activities.
C Division Commander, Assistant Commissioner Gavin Primo, related that the police, after receiving a tip, went to the house of the now dead man and conducted a search, but came up empty-handed.
With respect to the businessman’s shooting, Crime Chief Persaud said that surveillance tapes, which have been of great help to the police, are being reviewed.
However, Shellon Kandhai, the dead man’s widow, refuted police claims. She said that she and her husband had been going around for five years prior to their getting married. “And it is now 10 years since we are married, and I never hear that meh husband was involved in illegal activities. Meh husband worked hard for whatever he owns today,” the woman said.
She related that now that he is dead, it will be harder for her to maintain her six children. “Right now, we got to scrape and beg to raise money to offset his funeral expenses.”
In tears, the woman defended her husband’s good name, and argued that if her husband were in illegal business he would have never appeared in public, since he would have been fearful for his life.
She added that she is busy preparing for the funeral, which is likely to be held on Thursday, May 26.
A post-mortem examination performed on Kandhai by local pathologist Dr Nehaul Singh revealed that he died as a result of multiple gunshots to the body.
This incident comes just a few weeks after businessman Bedi Ramjewan of Crown Street, Industry, ECD was shot and killed by bandits, who escaped with G$2 million. Ramjewan was heading home from the city, after conducting some business, when he was intercepted by gunmen on a motorcycle. In an attempt to escape from his attackers, he ended up in a nearby trench, where the gunmen shot him in his chest. He was pronounced dead on arrival at the Georgetown Hospital.
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