Region Nine Executive Officer allegedly shot woman ‘accidentally’- police

Last Updated on Thursday, 22 July 2021, 22:19 by Denis Chabrol

Police  on Thursday said the Region Nine Executive Officer, Karl Singh allegedly shot a woman to her abdomen accidentally while she was in his vehicle earlier this week.

“Further investigations conducted by the police have revealed that the shooting was allegedly accidental,” the Guyana Police Force said.  Twenty-five year old Gladys Emmanuel, a pharmacist of St. Ignatius Village, Central Rupununi  was shot to her abdomen at about 1 AM on July 20, 2021 on the Lethem Main Access Road in a vehicle.

Initially, police had said it had been treating the incident  as an “attempted murder”.

Police said Mr. Singh was placed on bail on Thursday, July 22, 2021 and he is to return to police at Lethem on July 23, 2021. He was earlier Thursday seen driving around Lethem.

Ms. Emmanuel underwent an initial surgery and her condition has been listed as stable.

She was expected to undergo a second surgery to remove the warhead.

Regional Executive Officers, unlike the elected Regional Councils, are appointed by the Central Government and more often are persons in whom the governing party has confidence.

The opposition A Partnership for National Unity+Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) Shadow Minister of Home Affairs, Geeta Chandan-Edmond on Thursday called for Mr. Singh to be  suspended from the post of Regional Executive Officer and for a police probe to be conducted free from political interference. “I call for the following:
a thorough investigation of this incident, free from political interference. The investigation must be concluded speedily so that the all wrongdoing must be dealt with condignly to the fullest extent of the law,” said Ms. Chandan-Edmond, a former Magistrate.