Two cousins have confess to police that they were paid to set fire to the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM’s) sub-office in Linden, Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice), in July last year at a time when the country was locked in a political and electoral impasse following the March 2020 elections.
This publication understands that based on information received, members of the Major Crimes Unit arrested two young men – 23-year-old called ‘Nut’ of Canvas City, Wismar Linden and 21-year-old ‘Bushy’ of Silver Town Wismar on Monday last for questioning in relation to the fire.
Upon their arrest, ‘Nut’ was interrogated on Wednesday and admitted to being involved in the heinous crime. He said told investigators that they were paid $150,000 to torch GECOM’s Linden office after the entity was taking too long to swear in the presidential candidate of the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance Force Change, David Granger as president.
In a statement to the police, he claimed that he was contacted on the night of July 13, 2020 by one “Murgie” who told him that he wanted him to burn down the GECOM building. As such, he contacted his cousin, ‘Bushy’ and informed him of the job.
Upon receipt of this information, the police have arrested the mastermind on Thursday. The police are also pursuing an official in Linden who is said to be the intellectual author behind the burning of the GECOM building.
The two-storey concrete building situated at Lot 2 Burnham Drive, Wismar, Linden went up in flames sometime before 02:00h on July 14, 2020 however firefighters attached to the Linden Fire Station, who responded promptly, were able to contain the blaze to the upper flat and prevented it from spreading to nearby buildings.
While the upper part of the building housed the GECOM Office, the lower flat was empty at the time.
At the time, it was reported that moments after the building was set on fire, one of the security guards, who was on duty at the time, said that she heard a loud bang at about 01:55h.
