Questions were continuing to surface yesterday on how at least two car loads of gunmen were able to elude the police and army on the East Coast of Demerara after shooting up two Charlestown shops, killing two men and injuring eight persons on Wednesday night.
The police and the army recently launched Operation Saline Solution II which was supposed to have included numerous cordon and search operations and road blocks. Those who were attacked on Wednesday said that the assault lasted for at least 10 minutes and one of the getaway cars was found the next day near to Buxton indicating that the bandits had fled to safety along either the East Coast Main Road or the embankment road.
Questions were raised yesterday as to whether the police and army ranks involved in Operation Saline Solution II were alerted to the city robbery and had responded by immediately setting up road blocks.
Assistant Superintendent David Ramnarine of the police told Stabroek News that the ranks on the East Coast were told of the robbery when it occurred.
But he said he could not say what they were doing at the time and the bandits may not have gone right away up to the East Coast if they ever went to that area at all.
An army source noted that the GDF is in a joint operation with the police which is the lead agency. The source pointed out that the army is only operating in C Division and not A Division (Georgetown) while the police were operating in both. He said if the police said army and police ranks were put on the alert then it was so.
Leonard `Roy’ Parjohn, owner of Steven Beer Garden & Cheap Shop, was gunned down by bandits during Wednesday’s robbery after the bandits took a large sum of cash and jewellery. Another man, Carlton Norton, 22, was found dead in the Ketley Street area.