“I want to know how my son died” – mother of dead mason

By LaWanda McAllister

Two years have passed since her son died and heartbroken Bibi Ameena is calling for justice for the death of her son, Luckyram Balkarran called “Bojo”, 29, a mason of Little Diamond, East Bank Demerara (EBD).

Balkarran was employed with a local entity as a porter, transporting goods from Bartica to Peruni Landing, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni). However, on August 7, 2018, his mother was informed by a family member of the owner of the business, that her son was killed in a road accident.
Ameena said after she heard her son had died, she went to the Bartica Police Station to enquire about the truth of her son’s death, and to see his body. However, she said when she arrived, she was told by two police officers stationed there that they have no statement from the truck driver, the owner of the business, nor the other porters.
The mother is alleging that the officers told her that the truck driver took the dead man’s body and told them that he would give a statement about the accident when he was done delivering his goods to Bartica.
The statement was given about a week later.

“It doesn’t have a day I don’t cry; I does sit down and saw that I waiting on God because everybody telling me the story duck. I keep telling my children one day I want go on the news and let the Government and everybody see that is two year now my son died and I can’t get no justice….”, Ameena told this publication, as two years have passed and she is still waiting for justice for her son.
The tearful Ameena said on October 15, 2018, they met with a representative of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), who told them that she did not receive any information on Balkarran’s file. However, she assured the family that whenever she received the police report, an enquiry would be done to determine if anyone is criminally responsible for the man’s death.
According to the family, on October 23, 2018, they visited the then Police Commissioner Leslie James, who promised to do an internal police enquiry to determine if the normal police procedures were used into the investigation of the man’s death.
This publication was informed by Ameena that apart from supplying the names of the officers who were stationed at Bartica at the time, she also submitted photographs of the trucks that were involved in the alleged road accident.
To date, there has been no call or contact with the family from the police.
“Nothing in call at the court yet, or nothing, nothing in do. When he died, them at Bartica Station never called me to tell me that I have to go there for a statement. I went on my own and I gave a statement. Nothing ain’t come, when I get somebody to carry me to the DPP, DPP tell me to look out, that last year the file would come through and I would have to go to court,” she explained.
According to Ameena, the most difficult aspect she is faced with daily is having to see her three and four-year-old granddaughters grow up without their father. He was described by his family as “a go-getter” that worked very hard to put food on their table.
“Somebody can’t just come and tell me that my son dead, and we bury he and done and me in hear nothing… the people them just paid for the tomb and the coffin and that’s all. I want to know how my son died,” she explained.
The family is calling on authorities to investigate the matter as they wait on justice to be served.