One day after ranks attached to the Major Crimes Unit made a major breakthrough in nabbing, interrogating and garnering confessions from four suspects in connection with the murder of the two Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara) rice farmers, a fifth suspect has now been captured.
Mohammed and Bibi Munir were killed after bandits set their home ablaze on April 17, 2016.
Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum confirmed that on Sunday, a man known as “Plang”, who was a neighbour of the deceased elderly couple, was taken into Police custody.
“Plang” was the alleged mastermind, who had a conversation with fellow suspect and neighbour, Samsudeen Mohamed, and informed him that the rice farmers had some $20 million stashed away in their Lot 16 Good Hope, East Bank Essequibo (EBE) home.
Police are working on the theory that the alleged presence of this lump sum of money is what propelled the men to plan their attack. Mohamed; Jason Howard of East La Penitence, Georgetown; Gavin Shepherd, called “Pepsi”, and Joel Blair, were all implicated in the elderly couple’s murder.
The major breakthrough in the case came after the 21-year-old Howard was nabbed following a high-speed chase by Police after a brazen daylight attack was carried out on Baldeo Seegobin, an accountant attached to Tower Hotel last Wednesday.
Howard and another male initially made off with some $2.9 million from the accountant who returned to his job after a bank transaction on Water Street, Georgetown. Under intense interrogation, Howard allegedly admitted to the crime and implicated the other suspects.
Blanhum told this publication on Sunday that Police were still actively pursuing Gavin Shepherd as well as the driver of a car, which was used for the bandits to travel to and from the crime scene.
On that fateful night in April, Bibi Munir, 70, and her husband Mohammed, 77, were killed in a fire following a foiled robbery. After the couple had barricaded themselves inside their bedroom, the one of the bandits reportedly set the couple’s premises alight.
Eyewitnesses had said that late that evening, gunshots were heard and sometimes after, it had been discovered that the house of the couple was on fire. At that time, neighbours of the victims ran out of their homes to render assistance to the couple who were screaming for help. A post-mortem examination had confirmed that the Munirs were burnt to death. (Guyana Times)
