Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan says all cold murder cases in Berbice will be reopened. The announcement was made on Saturday during a meeting with residents of the Upper Corentyne.
Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan speaking to Berbice residents
The meeting was organised to encourage residents to become involved in the process of information gathering, as the Police continue their investigations into the killing of Corentyne carpenter Faiyaz Narinedatt, whose body was discovered along the Corentyne Highway at Number 70 Village on November 1.
During the discourse, Ramjattan announced that all cold cases would be reopened, and he expressed optimism that they would be solved.
“As Minister, I have told the Commissioner, ‘do not close any of the cold cases… start re-opening them’ and we are catching one, two people now. The Police are having an eye out as they are investigating other crimes. The cold crimes; it is so important that we do not shut any books or throw them away and say we done with that,” Ramjattan said.
The Minister made these comments in response to residents’ concerns over the seeming reluctance of the Police to act on new evidence in relation to several murders on the Corentyne.
Seerani Chandarpaul, of Number 69 Village, disclosed that the Police have not acted on new evidence in relation to the death of her 28-year-old son, Havan Chandarpaul, in August 2015.
Last month, this publication reported that Chandarpaul had gone to the Springlands Police Station with what she claimed to be new evidence regarding the death of her son.
On August 24, 2015, the body of Havan Chandarpaul, a fisherman of Number 68 Village, Corentyne, was discovered in a pond about half a mile into the backdam.
The body bore marks of violence. According to relatives, there was a laceration on the right side of the head and two on the left side. The man’s back also carried a similar wound, while his right shoulder seemed to have been fractured. The veins in each of his ankles were severed and his hands were bound behind his back.
Moments after the discovery was made, Police identified and arrested a key suspect along with more than 20 others who were in the bar with the suspect.
Another man was later arrested followed by a woman who had earlier told Chandarpaul’s father that he was dead and his body was in the backdam.
However, all of the suspects have been released on station bail.
According to the dead man’s mother, the Police are not acting on the new information which has surfaced and could further implicate the three prime suspects.
Ramjattan explained that the Police were capable of closing the cold cases just as they have done with many other cases.
The Minister revealed that several members of the Major Crime Unit would be stationed in Berbice to collect any new evidence on cold cases in Berbice in order to begin investigations.
