Police to seek legal advice on charges for missing fishermen

Corentyne pirate attack

Almost seven months after the dastardly high-seas piracy attack, Police are expected to seek further legal advice on instituting charges against the five perpetrators for the missing fishermen.

Head of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) Wendell Blanhum told reporters on Tuesday that he has already asked the Divisional Detective Officer in B Division (Berbice) to submit the file. The Crime Chief explained that based on the advice from the Police Legal Advisor, the Police continued its searches for three missing men but they were futile.

“We did several other searches. We searched an extensive area where it was alleged the bodies were thrown overboard but came up with nothing,” he posited. To this end, Blanhum stated that they are going back for legal advice and is positive they will get the go ahead to institute charges for the missing men. “I think it’s an opportune time for us now to return the file to the Police Legal Advisor and I’m very certain that she is going to advise that we institute the other murder charges against the suspects,” he remarked, while adding that the file will be handed over soon.

According to Police reports, cutlass-wielding pirates attacked a crew of Guyanese fishermen at about 23:00h on May 27, 2016, dumping the five fishermen over board and carting off with their outboard motor.

The captain, Seepersaud Persaud, was rescued by another fishing boat, but one of his crew members, Hemchand Sukhdeo of Number 55 Village, Corentyne, died and his body was recovered. However, Dhanpaul Rampaul of Number 67 Village; Dochand “Bucher”, 54, of Number 55 Village, Corentyne; and 26-year old Munesh “Boyo” Churram have not since been seen or heard from.

The perpetrators allegedly told investigators they threw the men overboard with anchors tied to their bodies.

Ramchand Latchman, Ganesh Naidoo, Leon Sammy, Stephen Leacock and Ramesh Singh all of Corentyne, were subsequently charged with the capital offence of murder under the Piracy Act back in June and were remanded to prison. They were caught at the Number 65 Village Foreshore, Corentyne, in a boat matching the description given to Police.