Thieves raid World Cup stadium site
…three- ton piles stolen, police seize a truck
Kaieteur News
June 14, 2004
Providence- The proposed stadium site has apparently attracted unwarranted attention with the result that it has suffered losses leading to one vehicle being detained by police.
Kaieteur News understands that police are investigating reports that two trucks were involved in the removal of about 14 three-tonne steel piles from the proposed stadium site.
Last week, some 20 piles designed for the purpose of building bridges to gain access to the site were placed at the side of the Providence Public Road. They were allegedly left unguarded. As a result persons in the know said that one night, about 17 burly men loaded eight of the piles into two canter trucks and made off with them.
The following day, two guards were placed at the scene. That night however the said men returned and made off with six more piles, leaving six behind.
Yesterday when Kaieteur News visited the scene and spoke with an apparent intoxicated guard he said that he knew nothing about the incident and was only employed the day before.
Sources have informed Kaieteur News that the contractor, Hemraj Singh reported that he received a phone call informing him that two vehicles numbered GAA3989 and GJJ 1997 were fetching away the piles. Further investigations revealed that one of the trucks has since been confiscated and is in police custody pending investigations.
However information is that the truck owner has since reported that the truck driver has not reported for duty some time now in the wake of the incident. One report is that the men with the piles were traced to an Albouystown address but nothing could be done since the men were all armed.
The situation at the site as at yesterday was that four of the six piles were hurriedly put together to construct a bridge which one source said was for security reasons and to prevent any further stealing. The remaining two were placed in the drain.
Neither the contractor nor any Government official could be reached for a comment.