Guyana Chronicle
May 6, 2001
POLICE yesterday conducted several searches in Buxton and detained three more persons for questioning after the violence that flared again late last Wednesday in the East Coast Demerara village.
Police Commissioner Laurie Lewis said a passing motorist yesterday removed a piece of a log that was placed on the village main road and there were two "minor interruptions" of traffic just off the railway embankment road.
Lewis said the Police are maintaining continuous patrols in the area where several persons were burnt, beaten and robbed in attacks on vehicles Wednesday.
The Commissioner said the three detained yesterday were being questioned in connection with unlawful activities in recent days.
Seven persons charged with public terror after the Wednesday attacks appeared before a magistrate the next day. Four were remanded and the others allowed bail.
It is understood that People's National Congress Reform (PNC/R) leader, Mr Desmond Hoyte and two senior party members were in the village yesterday.
The Police Friday firmly denied a PNC/R claim in a statement that a raid by cops in Buxton triggered the violence Wednesday.
"The Force wishes to state that whatever the source(s) of those reports, they were totally inaccurate, malicious and unwarranted", the Police said, adding that the last time cops conducted any raids was on April 30, 2001 and this was in the Sparendaam area.
The Police vowed to "continue to maintain law and order under any circumstances as long as the security and stability of the society are threatened."
People's Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) General Secretary, Mr Donald Ramotar, yesterday said the PNC/R statement on the issue was "extremely insensitive to the victims of the criminal attacks that have taken place and are taking place on the East Coast Demerara."
"It is unfortunate that the PNC/R is taking the irresponsible position of trying to justify the violence by putting blame on the Police.
"Instead of doing that, they should be supporting the efforts of the Police to quell the criminal attacks", Ramotar told the Chronicle.
Following the terror in which several persons were injured and vehicles destroyed, items lost by passengers in one bus were recovered by the owner of the mini-bus who lives at Lusignan.
Praimnauth Seepersaud, a bus conductor seriously injured after a `channa' (bottle) bomb was hurled into the bus in which he was travelling that afternoon, Friday confirmed that the bags found in the bus at Lusignan, were handed over to their owners.
He said a black handbag containing money, keys and important documents belonging to Dhanwantie Phagoo, also called Mala, a senior staff member of MCC Security Service was taken to the hospital and a search made for her at the Georgetown Hospital where the injured were admitted. But Phagoo had already taken her discharge the day before.
Acting on official information received, the woman was visited at her home and the bag handed over to her.
It was reported that Phagoo was forced to jump through a window of the front seat of the bus as the vehicle came under attack. She ran from her attackers as far as Annandale and was rescued by a passerby on a motor cycle.
Another black handbag belonging to Bridgette Sebastian employed by the Mayor and City Council was also collected by the owner after a message was sent to her that the items were lodged at the PPP/C Freedom House headquarters in Georgetown on Thursday.