Government to request Surinamese witnesses in recent piracy attack

DPI, GUYANA, Monday, May 28, 2018

Guyana could soon make an official request to the Surinamese government, to have an estimated seven persons who may have information on the recent piracy attacks on Guyanese fishermen, provide same to local police.

If that is not possible, the Guyanese lawmen may instead have to travel to the Dutch-speaking nation to conduct the interviews.

This is according to Minister of Public Security Khemraj Ramjattan, who on Friday last, said he will be acting on a request made by the Guyana Police Force, to contact the Surinamese police.

“Recently, a team of Surinamese detectives working on the case indicated that they are going to help us in relation to getting more evidence because we had asked them for more evidence in relation to people who we suspected in Guyana,” the Minister said during a media briefing.

According to Minister Ramjattan, more information is needed before the investigation could be fully completed. Currently, there are some seven witnesses in Suriname, but according to him, that number can increase during the course of the investigation.

“We have a good working relationship, it has been so for some time,” the Minister said of the Suriname connection.

On April 27, a piracy attack which took place off the Atlantic Coast of Suriname, left sixteen (16) fishermen missing and feared dead. The bodies of three of the missing fishermen were later salvaged while two others washed ashore. According to survivors, they were assaulted with machetes and forced to jump into the sea by the assailants who are suspected to be of Guyanese heritage.

 

By: Alexis Rodney.