‘Sonny’ remanded for murder of GDF Coast Guard during carjacking

Jamie Ghanie known as ‘Sonny’, a 26-year-old resident of Section A, South Sophia, Greater Georgetown, was remanded to prison on Friday after appearing before Magistrate Faith McGusty at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.
Ghanie, who was slapped with the murder of Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Coast Guard Lieutenant Rondel Douglas, is scheduled to reappear on November 22.
Ghanie’s arrest stems from a police operation at Kairuni Backdam along the Linden-Soesdyke Highway last Saturday. Police had been on the hunt for Ghanie, who was wanted in connection with the murder of Lieutenant Douglas, and for his associate, 27-year-old Hansi Jones, who is facing three counts of alleged rape.
The men attempted to flee when police arrived at the location last Saturday, but officers quickly apprehended them. Police reported that Ghanie was detained after a short pursuit, while Jones was caught after tripping during his escape. A search on Jones revealed an unlicensed 9mm pistol, live rounds of ammunition, a spent shell, and a quantity of cannabis.

The charges against Ghanie relate to the June 7, 2023, murder of Lieutenant Douglas in a violent carjacking. Douglas, who worked part-time as a taxi driver, had been lured to Cul-de-Sac Street in North Ruimveldt by a passenger posing as a customer.
Upon arrival, a second man emerged from nearby bushes and attacked Douglas in an attempt to steal his vehicle. Security footage showed Douglas struggling with his assailants, managing to exit the car and chase after one of the men before he was fatally shot. Douglas, wounded in the head and chest, collapsed near his vehicle while the suspects drove off, abandoning the car later that night in Campbellville.
The tragic killing of Lieutenant Douglas, who was widely respected within the GDF, prompted an extensive police investigation. By mid-June, police had charged two men—Randy Wright and Joshua Parris—in connection with the murder. Wright, 33, and Parris, known as “Stewie,” were both remanded after appearing before the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.