Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed is insisting that the shooting incident on Monday night involving him and members of his team was an assassination attempt.
Shots were fired at the vehicle Mohamed was in by Special Branch Head, Senior Superintendent Prem Narine who said he believed he was under attack.
Mohamed made the claims yesterday while speaking to reporters after being released on bail, insisting that the circumstances surrounding the incident on Barr Street, Georgetown, should receive greater public attention.
“The most important thing, right? I could have been a dead man,” Mohamed said, arguing that the incident could have resulted in his death or injuries to members of his team.
According to Mohamed, he was travelling along Barr Street when he observed two vehicles parked on the roadside with their engines and lights on. He said he later passed the area again and began recording the vehicles, which he said were part of his concerns about the use of police resources.
Mohamed said that when they reached the area, Narine jumped out of a police pickup and opened fire.
“I put my hands in the air. I said, ‘Prem, what is the matter with you?’ Pow, pow, pow, about four to five shots,” he told reporters, stating that the shots were fired in his direction.
Mohamed said that he had been travelling in the area after receiving a call from two parents who told him that a school gate at Rama Krishna Primary School on Middleton Street, Kitty, had fallen on two children, aged six and seven.
He said he had intended to visit the school to look into the matter and meet with the parents the following morning.
Mohamed also questioned why police officers and a police vehicle were allegedly stationed outside the Aiden Hotel for extended periods, charging that the vehicle had been there for more than a year with officers and its engine running around the clock.
He said the incident had left him concerned for his safety and could significantly affect his ability to engage with communities.
“It will hamper my work significantly,” Mohamed said, adding that he believed the incident was intended to prevent him from reaching out to members of the public.
Mohamed also alleged that Narine had access to CCTV footage and police communications that allowed officers to monitor his movements.
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