Third attempt on life of expelled Jamaat member

FOR THE third time in four months expelled Jamaat-al-Muslimeen member Ken Gonzales, aka Kazim Rasheed, has come under fire from the gun. Gonzales, 32, of Carenage, was shot in the lower left thigh but discharged himself from the Sangre Grande Hospital saying he was not safe at that location.  He reportedly checked into another medical institution. The latest in the attacks on Gonzales occurred around 6.45 pm Tuesday when Gonzales, in company with Roger “Black Roger” Bridgeman and Neil “Rope” George, was travelling along Junction Road, Sangre Grande. Police said the vehicle, driven by George, a rigger with Amoco, was travelling north along Junction Road, when it slowed down about 500 metres from the Eastern Main Road to allow a vehicle to pass.

Occupants in the vehicle said they heard four gunshots coming from some bushes on the western side of the vehicle.  A man was reportedly seen running from the bushes, police said the occupants told them. When the smoke cleared, police said Gonzales told them he felt a burning sensation to the lower left leg.  He was taken to the Sangre Grande Hospital from where he discharged himself. A report was made later and police said a party of officers headed by Sgt Fermin Roy, and including Cpls Sankar and Mitchell and PCs Gadar and Baboolal visited the scene, where they found a projectile believed to have come from a 9mm or a .45 ammunition in the vehicle. No arrests were made up to late evening and Cpl Sankar of the Sangre Grande Criminal Investigations Department (CID) is continuing investigations.

On May 2, over 20 shots were fired at a blue Mercedes Benz in which Gonzales and another expelled Jamaat member, Lincoln “Salim” Alexis, were travelling. Gonzales’ four-year-old daughter, Jayideah, was also an occupant of the vehicle which was at the time being driven by Gonzales in the vicinity of Mathura and Patna Streets, St James. Another vehicle reportedly pulled alongside them and the occupants opened fire with what police described as a high-powered rifle. Gonzales and Alexis were grazed by bullets, while little Jayideah escaped unhurt. They were reportedly returning from Juma at the Mucurapo compound of the Jamaat-al-Muslimeen. Sgt Nandram Moonilal of St James CID is investigating.

On August 12, police said Gonzales was threatened at gunpoint by a member of a religious group at his Carenage home. PC Worrel of the Carenage CID is continuing investigations. Gonzales, Alexis and Zaki Aubidah were expelled from the Jamaat organisation in May. The former had appeared in the Port-of-Spain Magistrate’s Court last July 19 on a provisional warrant for possession of marijuana for the purpose of trafficking in St Vincent and the Grenadines. He is alleged to have had 380 pounds of the illicit drugs in his possession on May 28, 2002, at Chateau Belair. The charge, laid by Insp Adam Joseph, was subsequently dismissed.