Bandit to be buried at paupers’ cemetery

Anderson Bramble, a wanted man who was killed by police two months ago will be buried as a pauper today.

The body will be buried at the paupers’ cemetery in St James  because none of his relatives or friends have claimed the body. Police were able to locate a relative last Friday, when they detained a 26-year-old  for questioning into the $50,000 armed robbery at the Couva branch of First Citizens Bank. He was placed on identification parade, but was not pointed out. The man was asked by the police to accompany them to the Forensic Sciences Centre to identify the body of his brother, but he hesitated saying that he and his family did not want to be associated with anything to do with the matter. Police officers were able to coax him to go to the Forensic Sciences Centre on Monday, where he identified the body and an autopsy was carried out.

An autopsy cannot be carried out until a body is identified. The autopsy revealed that Bramble was shot several times in the head and abdomen. Following the autopsy, Andy Bramble made it clear that neither he nor his family wanted to claim the body for burial. Newsday learnt that this information was passed on to the Ministry of National Security, and arrangements were put in place to have the body buried at the paupers’ cemetery. Bramble, who was a suspect in the larceny of a firearm belonging to Inspector Samlal of the Southern Division, was shot dead by police at Teelucksingh Street, California, on the morning of July 27. He was also wanted on six warrants for a series of robberies and firearm offences in Central Trinidad. Around 5 am on July 27, police officers led by Inspector Samlal, went to a house at California where they attempted to execute a search warrant.

They claimed that they were greeted by gunfire and returned fire. When they made a check they discovered the body of Bramble lying in a pool of blood. Police investigators claimed that Bramble was a notorious bandit, and was one of three men who held up Inspector Samlal while he was at a bar at Laing Street, Chaguanas, on July 23. The inspector was robbed of his service revolver, $4,000 in cash and beaten.  A warrant was later issued for the arrest of Bramble. Several other persons who were robbed at the bar went to the Forensic Sciences Centre and pointed out Bramble as one of the persons who had held them up. Police officers claimed that he was part of a gang responsible for several robberies, shootings and crime throughout the country.