Retired policeman arrested for alleged abduction, gun-point robbery of Mahaica businessman

Last Updated on Wednesday, 14 September 2022, 11:05 by Denis Chabrol

A retired policeman on Wednesday remained in custody for his alleged role in the abduction and armed robbery  of a businessman from Belmont, Mahaica, East Coast Demerara, the Guyana Police Force said.

The robbery victim, 35-year old Jagdesh Mangal, said after he was whisked away and robbed of GY$3.6 million dollars worth of gold and diamond jewellery, he was taken to  to the home of one of the suspects and forced to sign a note that he owes the men GY$900,000.

The incident occurred at a popular bar located on Station Street, Kitty, Georgetown at about 7 PM on September 12. Investigators are yet to review surveillance video recordings , but the owner said she Mangal being assaulted. “Detectives who visited the bar at Station Street, questioned several persons including the proprietor, who related that she was in the kitchen area of the bar when she heard a commotion and upon investigating, she saw the two suspects cuffing the victim and then placed him into a car and drove away. The woman further told the ranks that she called on the retired policeman to intervene, but he refused,” the police force said.

Police said Mangal and the men have an ongoing dispute over a sum of money.

Mr Mangal told police that he was at the bar imbibing, when the two suspects, along with a retired policeman showed up in a vehicle. He said the men exited the car and the two suspects began punching the victim about his body, while telling him that they wanted their money.

Police said the retired policeman was heard telling the suspects to take Mangal away after which he  was forced into the back seat of the vehicle.

The victim further claimed that while in the vicinity of Vlissengen Road, one of the suspects pointed a gun at him and relieved him of a gold and diamond band valued G$1.5 million, one black diamond with gold ring valued G$1.2 million and one gold chain valued G$900,000. Mangal also reportedly claimed that he was taken to the home of one of the suspects in Kitty where he was forced to sign a note stating that he owed G$900,000 to the suspects, at gunpoint.

The 35-year-old businessman was taken to a hotel on Church Street, Georgetown where he was ordered out of the vehicle by the two men. They are yet to be arrested while the retired policeman remains in custody at the Kitty Police Station.