…sabotage suspected
The annual Christmas tree light-up was nearly halted as sections of the structure came crashing down on Saturday morning in a suspected act of sabotage. However, Ray Rahaman has announced that the celebration will go full steam ahead for this evening as he made alternative arrangements for another tree. 
At about 11:00h on Saturday, traffic along several sections of the East Bank Demerara highway crawled at a snail’s pace after the Rahaman’s Park tree fell onto the roadway. The Police were quickly alerted and traffic ranks were deployed to re-direct traffic, as workmen removed the tree which Rahaman believes cannot be fixed due to the damage it sustained.
Rahaman told Guyana Times that the tree’s destruction was the work of a saboteur given that the straps holding the 70-foot structure were removed and were missing.
“Someone came here last night, went under the tree and took off all of the ratchet straps and stole the straps that were locking the tree together. The tree was doing fine, everything was tested,” he noted.
Rahaman however stated that the annual tree light-up will go ahead as planned as an ever-green Christmas tree, also standing at 70 feet, has been identified to illuminate the area. The businessman observed the danger that surrounded the artificial tree’s collapse, as only moments earlier, a workmen was atop the structure.
“If I had come back 15 minutes after with the extra lights, he would have been up there, and he would have been no more,” he stressed.
Rahaman however encouraged the public to come out and enjoy the launch which begins at 17:00h this evening with the ceremonial light-up.
