Home Ministry guards lose missile hurlers
Stabroek News
April 27, 2004
Security officers at the Ministry of Home Affairs chased, but failed to catch, three men who hurled three missiles at the building causing fire to erupt on two floors on Sunday evening.
According to reports, passers-by noticed the fire in the building at around 10.05 pm but saw no one on the premises.
They said that when firefighters arrived some ten minutes later, they were forced to break into the building to tackle the flames.
Permanent Secretary within the ministry, Angela Johnson said she received a call around 11 pm. "When I got here the place was on fire but the quick response of the fire service averted any major damage." She said the security personnel on duty told her that three men had launched channa bombs at the building and had run away.
A security officer at the ministry said there were four sentries on duty Sunday night.
She said they saw when the men threw the objects and gave chase, but the perpetrators escaped through Manget Place.
Meanwhile the Police Public Relations Office sent out a press release which stated that police are investigating.
It said that according to a report the unidentified men were seen standing under a tree on the northern side of Brickdam in the vicinity of the ministry just before the incident. Fire Chief Carlyle Washington could not be contacted for comment.
Stabroek News observed a small amount of channa strewn across the floor of the conference room on the upper flat of the building. Johnson explained that they are yet to ascertain whether a photocopy machine in the conference room had sustained any damage. The walls and carpet where the explosives made contact were badly scorched.
A room used for storage on the second floor was more extensively damaged than the conference room, with the walls, floor and some Christmas decorations scorched.
A St Stanislaus College security officer said the guard at the school tried to call the fire service but could not get through.
The guard had also observed someone from the ministry run over to the police station. She said the fire service arrived shortly afterward and attempted to pry open a window but eventually broke the glass panes to enter the building.