Sharma’s office broken into... again

POLICE have ruled out any links between the alleged fight between Government minister Dr Keith Rowley and UNC Fyzabad MP Chandresh Sharma on Wednesday and a break-in yesterday morning at Sharma’s constituency office. Evidence gathered by police late yesterday at Sharma’s ransacked office, which is believed to have been broken into during the early morning hours yesterday, pointed to burglary, police sources said.  Sources added that yesterday’s break-in at Sharma’s office was the second this year and eighth since September 2003. Police said the burglars ransacked Sharma’s office and stole several diskettes and files which contained information regarding General and Local Government Elections in Fyzabad. Letters and other correspondence to Sharma from various charitable and self-help organisations were also stolen, the report stated. Two boxes containing food, donated by persons from the Fyzabad area for distribution to needy persons in hurricane-ravaged Grenada, were also taken by the burglars. Employees reported for work at the office yesterday to find several padlocks cut.

Sharma’s secretary Sylverine Ramroop and receptionist Idesa Noriega told Newsday they were confronted by the cut padlocks, boxes and paper strewn all around the office. They immediately telephoned Sharma at 8.15 am, who at the time was visiting a medical doctor at Surgi-Med Nursing home for follow-up medical checks after the alleged fight he had with Rowley in the tea-room of the Red House. Sgt Leonard Flandes of Fyzabad Police Station headed a party of officers, including fingerprint expert PC Monindra Neema, who visited the constituency office. Sharma’s office was last broken into in April. Sharma was unavailable for comment yesterday, choosing instead to stay at home where relatives said he was resting. Dr Anirudh Mahabir, managing director of Surgi-Med and a former UNC candidate for the Tarouba (San Fernando) area in the last Local Government Elections, confirmed that Sharma visited him for a check-up. However, he declined to say if Sharma was indeed suffering from any injuries sustained out of the alleged attack by Rowley.