3 suspects allegedly tortured by Police in Berbice

Execution-style killing

…transferred to Police headquarters

Three suspects who are currently in Police custody for the execution-style killing of suspected cattle rustler Parmanand Lakram, called “Bachan”, of Number 68 Village, Berbice have allegedly been tortured.
A Police source confirmed that the men were transferred to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Police Headquarters, Georgetown. One of the men was taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital for medical attention.
The suspects are aged 20, 23, and 60. The source confirmed that the men were beaten at the Springlands Police Station.
Guyana Times understands that the youngest of the three was the first person to be arrested in connection with the crime. He is employed by the 60-year-old suspect, who is a cattle farmer.
This publication was told the men were sprayed with pepper spray and a plastic bag was placed over their heads.
Meanwhile, a male cousin of the 60-year-old suspect on Thursday claimed that the cattle farmer was harassed by the Police recently. He said he was arrested in relation to the double murder at the Number 63 Beach of the owner of Sunsplash Beach Resort, Vivekanand Brijbassi, called “Veka”, and his handyman, Harry Prashad.
However, a teen confessed to the murders and implicated an accomplice. This resulted in the 60-year-old being released from custody and less than 24 hours later, Lakram was killed.
Meanwhile, the father of the 23-year-old in custody claimed that on the night of Lakram’s death, his son was at home and the Police instructed that he come to the station to give a statement to that effect.
“I went there and they had brought him out to sign a book, but they didn’t know it was my son, since I went there by myself and was sitting waiting. He was limping and they kicked him, they told him to sign the book, and he refused saying that they beat him with a gun,” the man said.
He pointed out that when he submitted his statement that his son was at their home on the night of the murder, the Police accused him of covering for his son, and subsequently arrested him. He was, however, released from custody several hours later.
“But when I was there, they brought out another man – a boy actually – and they had the plastic bag over his head and were hitting him…They tell him to start call names,” the man alleged.
The family of the 20-year-old suspect has procured the services of a well-known attorney in Berbice to address the Police abuse and accusation of murder.
Meanwhile, attempts by this newspaper to contact Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) Police Commander, Senior Superintendent Calvin Brutus and Crime Chief, Senior Superintendent Michael Kingston proved futile on Thursday.
The High Court has granted Police permission for the further detention of the suspects.
On January 30, 2020, Lakram and two men were in his vehicle travelling into the backdam when he was shot. The now dead man instructed his two friends to hide as he approached the oncoming motorbike and after the first shot was fired, he allegedly told his friends to run to safety.
This newspaper was told that the two men informed Lakram’s family what transpired and they rushed to the scene. There, they saw Lakram sitting in a pool of blood next to his vehicle. His body bore about eight gunshot wounds.