Senior Caricom official shot, robbed outside home

Last Updated on Thursday, 22 February 2018, 18:08 by Denis Chabrol

A senior official of the Guyana-based Caribbean Community (Caricom) headquarters was Thursday shot and robbed, shortly after leaving the East Coast Demerara branch of Republic Bank.

This is said to be third time in recent weeks that customers leaving that bank’s branch at Triumph have been robbed of large sums of cash

Shot and injured is Lionel Persaud, a senior official at Caricom. Police sources said the bandits carted off GY$264,000. He sustained  a gunshot wound to his upper right foot.

The Guyana Police Force did not disclose the name of the robbery victim, only describing him as a Deputy Programme Manager who is 59 years old and resides at Atlantic Gardens, East Coast Demerara.

The incident occurred at about 2:30 PM Thursday in front of his home. .

“He is presently admitted in a stable condition at a Government Medical Institution,” police said.

Persaud told police that he went to a commercial bank on the East Coast of Demerara and made a withdrawal after which he proceeded to his home in his motor car.

“On arrival in front of his entrance,a motor car approached from a northern direction and blocked his path ; a male immediately exited the rear of the vehicle with a handgun brandished ,approached the victim from the driver’s side and relieved him of a bag containing the cash he withdrew,” the Guyana Police Force said. The bandit rejoined the car and fled the scene.

The victim was rushed to the hospital by a policeman.

Investigators said they retrieved a spent shell at the scene and are currently making stringent efforts to trace the vehicle and apprehend the suspects.

About two weeks ago, someone who withdrew GY$7 million from Republic Bank was robbed of the cash as was the case on Wednesday involving an electrical contractor. He was shot and robbed of GY$600,000 near a work-site at Foulis, East Coast Demerara shortly after withdrawing the money from Republic Bank at Triumph.