-Mohamed’s former employees, car dealer out on bail
More than five years after the chilling murder of Ricardo Fagundes, called ‘Paper Shorts’ on Main Street, the police yesterday issued a bulletin for mechanic Satrohan Rajkumar in connection with the crime.
There was no further information from Eve Leary on what breakthrough in this longstanding investigation would have led to the bulletin. Rajkumar’s name had not come up publicly in the investigation. The police bulletin did not list the last known address of Rajkumar.
On Monday, Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed alleged that the police were trying desperately to pin the murder on him and had been trying to have an auto dealer make a statement on the sale of the car that had transported the killers of Fagundes. There was no response by Eve Leary to the allegation by Mohamed but it seemed clear yesterday that they continue to pursue persons with connections to the Opposition Leader.
Mohamed last night told Kiskadee Watch that Rajkumar had been his mechanic for more than 20 years. Mohamed explained that Rajkumar repairs his vehicles and boats when needed, operates his own workshop, and is not a full-time employee of any of his businesses.
Mohamed further alleged that Rajkumar is also well known to President Irfaan Ali, claiming that while the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) was in opposition, Rajkumar would often transport Ali to races at the South Dakota Race Track.
Meanwhile, three men who were detained as part of the Guyana Police Force’s ongoing investigation into the murder of Fagundes, have been released on $1 million station bail each as investigators continue to seek legal advice in the case.
Those released are Mark Richmond and wash bay owner Udoh Kanu, both former employees of Mohamed. Auto dealer Amarnauth Ramsook, who was also questioned in connection with the investigation, was likewise granted $1 million station bail.
Kiskadee Watch understands the men were released subject to a number of bail conditions.
The three had been detained as police intensified their probe into the execution-style killing of Fagundes and examined information relating to the vehicle allegedly used by the gunmen during the deadly attack.
When contacted, attorney Sase Gunraj declined to comment on the investigation or on behalf of his client, Ramsook. Kiskadee Watch was later told that Bernard Da Silva was now representing Ramsook and had secured bail for him.
Mohamed on Monday night played a recording of a conversation in which it was alleged that the police were trying to fabricate a case against him for the murder of Fagundes by linking his former security officer, Richmond to the vehicle that was used in the killing.
In a video on the Team Mohamed’s page, Mohamed said that his exposing of the extensive farm of President Ali had resulted in this attempt to frame him. Declaring that he feared no one but God, Mohamed vowed to continue exposing what he said was corruption in the government.
“The only person I fear is God”, Mohamed said as he then alleged that the police had been instructed to make a case against him. Mohamed said that since he entered politics the government had been trying to either pin the March 21, 2021 murder of Fagundes on him or to have him extradited.
“I want to make it unequivocally clear that I had absolutely nothing to with the crime (murder of Fagundes)”, he said emphatically while pointing out that Fagundes had been the subject of two failed attempts to kill him. Fagundes was gunned down outside of Palm Court on Main Street.
Mohamed said this plot against him materialized with the arrest of Richmond on Wednesday and his continued detention. Another former employee was also taken into custody on Thursday and then on the same day auto dealer Ramsook was taken into custody.
He said that Ramsook apparently sold the car which is believed to have transported Fagundes’ killers to Main Street. The vehicle was later found burnt at Swan on the Soesdyke-Linden Highway. Mohamed then played the recording of a conversation with a person purporting to be the son of Ramsook.
That person alleged that Ramsook was being told by the police to say that he had sold the vehicle in question to Richmond. Mohamed said that this was despite the fact that Ramsook had told police last August when he was detained for questioning that he had sold the vehicle to a person who has since died. The person in the audio conversation yesterday also acknowledged that his father had said that he had sold what was the getaway vehicle to a person who has since died and not Richmond.
The person who says he is the son of Ramsook said in the conversation with Mohamed that his father was being pressured by the police to say that the car had been sold to Richmond. Mohamed said in the video that this was a clearly fabricated attempt to link him to the Fagundes killing.
Mohamed in his video said that it was unbelievable that the police could try to draw a link with the motor vehicle when they themselves had admitted that the chassis number of the vehicle had been obliterated.
Discussion