Georgetown: President David Granger called the recently pirate attack off the Waiwai Bank in neighbouring Suriname, allegedly by Guyanese pirates, a massacre and announced that a day of mourning will be formally observed for the men who were killed.
“We are deeply grieved by the tragedy; clearly some Guyanese have been victims, and we are in touch with Surinamese Government and also the Surinamese police authorities and our police in the ‘B’ Division, which is the East Berbice Corentyne Division, are in touch with the families and we plan to observe formal mourning. It is a massacre, it is a great tragedy,” President Granger said.
Minister of Public Security Khemraj Ramjattan has referred to the incident as a “brutal crime” and has confirmed Guyanese law enforcement has been in contact with officials since Saturday last. He confirmed that due to the Piracy Act and the crime of murder, Guyana will be involved in the investigations, but given that it’s a sovereign country, caution will be taken to ensure boundaries are not overstepped. He, however, assured Guyanese that every effort will be made to bring the perpetrators to justice. To this end he is also planning to meet all the relatives of the victims over the course of the weekend, as soon as the identities of the missing men are confirmed.
His Surinamese counterpart, Desi Bouterse, who was returning from a trip to Brazil, held a brief press conference as he touched down to address the issue. The Surinamese leader said the entire episode was a “sad thing that happened” and pledged “to leave no stone unturned” as he confirmed the collaboration between Guyana, Suriname and French Guyana to bring those responsible to justice.
Meanwhile, the announcement of the one survivor would also come amidst news that at least seven fishermen, said to be Guyanese, were arrested in Suriname.
In Guyana there was one arrest in Berbice.
With regards to the search, Suriname news reported that several bodies have been spotted, but high tides have made recovery efforts difficult.
Three bodies have been brought to shore and while it is initially suspected that one is the remains of 27-year-old Dinesh ‘Vicky’ Persaud, one of the missing fishermen, family members confirmed from Suriname yesterday that they have not identified the body as yet. This should be done today. The three bodies showed clear signs of serious injuries.
Earlier on Wednesday evening, fishermen and a few family members gathered at the mooring dock at the Anton Dragtenweg where one of unmanned boats had been towed to. In the boat the fishermen lit incense in honour of their colleagues.
The three bodies have been seized by the judiciary, it is being reported.
The investigation is being continued by the Capital Crimes department. A second Coast Guard boat sailed out on Wednesday evening to search for the other thirteen missing persons.
Suriname is expected to hold a walk to mourn the situation.
Suriname news reported that attacks are as a result of an old feud between fishermen. It is known, but fishermen refuse to speak about this in public.
On 28 February, captain Mark Skeete became the first fatal victim of the dispute, according to insiders. Near the mouth of the Marowijne River, he was shot by robbers.
A price was placed on the heads of the people who would have been behind Skeete’s murder. At the beginning of April, the police reported that there was a drive-by shooting on 30 March, the forty-year-old entrepreneur Somnath Manohar died. He was sitting with employees and family at his home at Munder.
An employee as also hit. Manohar appears to be a fisherman and according to insiders, Suriname news reported yesterday, he would be the brain behind the murder of Skeete, along with another man who was murdered in Guyana.
Suriname authorities are convinced that the attacks are more than piracy. The way in which the attackers have gone to work is a strong indication that they were committed to murder rather than robbery. The director stated that the perpetrators could only be caught on the basis of international cooperation, particularly with Guyana.
Several Guyanese families have journeyed to Suriname in hopes of having news of their loved ones.
On Thursday, Guyana’s ambassador to Suriname, Keith George said that he was in contact with at least six families. He would have also visited families camping out at a Paramaribo wharf awaiting word.
The ambassador said he is keeping authorities in Guyana posted on the situation.
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