PPP Presidential Candidate gives support to fishermen’s families
Suspected piracy
The People’s Progressive Party/Civic Presidential Candidate, Irfaan Ali on Sunday visited the families of fishermen in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), who were victims of a suspected piracy attack.
Presidential Candidate Irfaan Ali meeting with a relative of one of the piracy victims
On October 5, four men went off to sea in a vessel – Sara 1. Over the past few days, the bodies of two of the men were recovered while the other two are still missing.
Dead are Kawal Kissoon also called “Ajai” of Letter Kenny Village, Corentyne, and Otto Lamar Petrie of Lot 90 Miss Phoebe, Port Mourant, Berbice. Missing are Marvin Tamesar also called “Buddy” and Bin Laden of Miss Phoebe, Port Mourant and Vishnu Seeram called “Kevin”.
After meeting with the aggrieved relatives, Ali said: “This is really a sad situation here and the stories from the families is one that tells us how much more we have to do as a people and as a country in the way we approach situations also.”
Dead: Kawal Kissoon called “Ajai”
He stated that from the perspective of grieving family members, there has been little action to provide any form of rescue for the fishermen.
“Since the last incident last year, we heard of a Quick Response Task Force in situations like these and what we’ve seen is a very limited response in the words of the communities and the families. No search and rescue operation, no chopper service, the owner of the boat has not facilitated the provision of another boat to help in the search. This is what is told by the families in the communities,” he disclosed.
According to Ali, there is presently no system to strategically locate the missing men. He urged the relevant authorities to step in at this time, since counselling and other services will be necessary.
“From all that you’re hearing, there is no system in place to help these people or in terms of emergency, tracking, monitoring, search and rescue operations….These are four families we’re talking about, large families. All the families are saying to us that they’re left in the dark…I want to call on the authorities to take this very seriously. There will be a lot that is need. A lot of counselling will be needed.”
Dead: Marvin Tamesar called “Buddy”
The body of 36-year-old Kissoon was discovered on Friday with his hands bound behind his back and his feet tied together on the Abary Foreshore, Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice). However, it was not until Saturday that his body was identified.
Meanwhile, the body of 20-year-old Otto Lamar Petrie of Lot 90 Miss Phoebe, Port Mourant, was discovered on Sunday at the same location. This discovery was made by a search party which was led by police officers. Petrie’s body was in an advanced state of decomposition. His hands and feet were also bound.
The two men, along with Marvin Tamesar also called “Buddy” and “Bin Laden”, 20, of Miss Phoebe, Port Mourant, and Vishnu Seeram called “Kevin”, 20, also of the same village, left from a wharf at Number 65 Village for sea aboard Sara 1 – a fishing vessel owned by Sharanand Rabindranauth of Number 68 Village, Corentyne.
Sara 1 was found on the foreshore at Wellington Park, Corentyne, on Friday afternoon but none of the crew members were found at that time.
