Four masked men yesterday robbed an overseas-based Corentyne, Berbice, pensioner and his domestic worker at his Salton, Corentyne home.
The men gained entry into the two storied house, owned by Veerasammy Narainasami, also called “Fedi”, by placing a bench on two tables to reach the bedroom window on the upper flat.
The 67-year pensioner said he was in his bedroom watching television and at about 12:45hrs yesterday morning he went to the bathroom and upon returning to his bedroom, he was confronted by the men.
“I spent like about 15 minutes and going back when I open the bedroom door, ah brace up with four men; one with a gun, one with a cutlass and two with nothing. They start to rough me up and asking ‘where is the money, where is the money’. I tell them that all the money I get is in the pants, so one of them go and take out the money and they still asking, ‘where is the rest’, and I tell them that I don’t have more,” the pensioner related.
He said the bandit who was carrying the cutlass started lashing him using the flat side of the blade, demanding that he hand over more money.
The pensioner, who displayed marks on his body including a cut to his head, said all of the men were masked.
He related that the ordeal lasted for about 25 minutes, adding that the men placed a gun to his head and threatened to kill him if he did not give them more money.
The former building maintenance engineer, who arrived in Guyana on December 3, said he tried to explain to the thieves that he is in the habit of borrowing money from friends whenever he is in Guyana and repaying when he returns to New York.
After relieving the pensioner, the bandits then turned their attention to his domestic help, Samantha Williams, who was asleep in another room.
“Dem ask me if I know which side this man does put his money and I tell them that is not my business and I don’t mind his business, then the one with the gun ask me, ‘where is me money’, and ah tell him look on the table and then he look and see the light on the phone under the sheet and he pull it away from me and then he put his hand on my breast and then he go out the room,” the woman related.
She said she was too shaken to get out of bed and locked the bedroom door after they exited her room.
Williams was relieved of a cellular phone worth $4,500 and $3,000 in cash while Narainasami was relieved of US$300, G$5000, two cellphones and two torch lights.
Police arrived about 30 minutes after the incident and dusted the place for fingerprints.
An investigation has been launched. Narainasami, who left Guyana in 1985, has been returning over the last five years to spend the winter period in Guyana. (Andrew Carmichael)
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