Businessman’s shooting death triggers call for aggressive crime fight

Last Updated on Saturday, 26 December 2015, 21:01 by GxMedia

In the wake of Tuesday night’s gunning down of a West Coast Demerara businessman in his shop by bandits, there are fresh calls for authorities to do more to combat violent crime.

The dead man has been identified as 27-year old Zulfikar “Vicky Golzar Namdar who was shot during an invasion of his shop at 76 Meten-Meer-Zorg, West Coast Demerara by several men armed with handguns. He was his parents’ only child and he was a husband and father of two.

“We always expect betterment to come but at least I think we should do something better. The authority and the minister and everyone else should budget some more money for them to look at these offences,” said the dead man’s father, Golzar Namdar. His wife, Fazila Namdar, was gun butted by one of the bandits.

Reflecting on his son, he said: “He never wanted us to be unhappy. He always had a good disposition in the community. He was always smiling with people and he always wanted to help and he always associated and helped with charitable activities.”

As word spread about the incident, numerous villagers and members of the Muslim community congregated inside and outside the shop and home of the Namdars.

Shop assistant 17-year old  was shot to his left thigh and told by  doctors to return on Tuesday for an X-Ray.

Golzar, the Regional Vice President of the Central Islamic Organisation of Guyana (CIOG),  said his wife begged the gunmen not to injure anyone and she handed over a bag containing passports, other important documents and an estimated GUY$1 million.

CIOG President, Fazil Ferouz expressed shock and bewilderment at the devastation of the community by the heinous crime. He lamented that there appeared to be no solution in sight for the rising crime. “We have seen crime escalating all over the country and everyone is worried about the situation of crime but no one seems to have the solution,” he told reporters. Ferouz called on the Guyana Police Force to be moree vigilant in its quest to protect innocent and vulnerable persons.

Region Three parliamentarian for the governing Peoples Progressive Party (PPP), Irfan Ali declined to say that government should share some of the responsibility for the apparent rise in violent crimes. “What I know is that the government has been continuously investing in the security forces. The government has been building infrastructure and more and more resources…That is a question better put to the (police) force and the respective ministry,” he said.

Eyewitness Sheik Abdul Ziauddin, who was in the shop about 7 PM, recounted that two masked bandits were moving from the shop to the dwelling while demanding money. “Weh yuh money deh? Weh yuh money deh? (Where’s your money? Where’s your money).”

Another man, Akram Walcott, said one of the bandits kicked him down to prevent him from leaving the shop and placed a gun to his head. ‘I left surprised. I never know this would happen. All my skin shaking,”