ExxonMobil Guyana’s President “shocked” at shooting of vehicle; says transportation contract out for tender

Last Updated on Wednesday, 12 February 2025, 22:00 by Writer

President of ExxonMobil Guyana, Alistair Routledge made it clear that he was very concerned that the owner of a contracted transportation provider shot at a vehicle that was assigned to him.

“I was shocked with what happened,” he told a news conference.

Mr Routledge declined to say whether the contract with Cyril’s Transportation Service (CTS) was quashed but said that service providers had been invited to submit bids. “We have a tender ongoing and, again, I can’t comment on a tender process,” he said.

He said the shooting incident was not aligned with ExxonMobil’s commitment to workplace safety. “Safety is first and paramount for all of us and so I’m shocked that anybody would think that it’s a good idea to release a weapon in the street so to that’s unacceptable but I’m not going to comment on the contract,” Mr Routledge said.

The Guyana Police Force (GPF) in December, 2024, said a vehicle that was assigned to the ExxonMobil Guyana President was shot at and disabled by the owner of Cyril’s Transportation Service, 54-year-old Muishankar Persaud after he thought it was one of two vehicles that had been stolen from his company.

Mr Persaud’s 9 mm Glock pistol had been lodged by police as part of a probe into the incident that occurred at 4:30 p.m. on 12 December 2024 at the corner of Drury Lane and Lamaha Street, Georgetown.

A source said only the driver was in the vehicle at the time of the shooting.

The GPF provided information on Friday only after a number enquiries by the media, and since then has been silent about the outcome of its probe.

Investigators had been treating the incident as “discharging of a loaded firearm with intent” committed on 41-year-old Kordel Assanah, a driver employed by ExxonMobil.

Persaud had told police that two of his Toyota Prado SUVs, one bearing registration number PAB 3494, were stolen from him earlier this year. The businessman reportedly said he was at his office at David Street, Kitty, when he received a phone call from someone stating that they saw one of the stolen vehicles on Kitty Railway Embankment.

Police said as a result, he proceeded to the said location where he later saw a Prado SUV fitting the description of one stolen from him. The vehicle was heading South on Lamaha Street. The businessman said he exited his vehicle, and while walking towards the Prado he discharged one round from his licenced firearm towards the vehicle, hitting the right back wheel which caused the vehicle to stop. As he approached the driver, he recognised him and then realised the vehicle was not one that was stolen from him.