IRO President beaten, robbed of car

MOMENTS after leaving a meeting in which the controversy surrounding the Prime Minister and Chief Justice was discussed at length, president of the Inter-Religious Organisation (IRO) Rev Cyril Paul was beaten by armed bandits and robbed of his car in Curepe, on Monday night. Up to late yesterday, St Joseph police said they had no leads, nor had they recovered Rev Paul’s vehicle. “We had just finished the IRO meeting at Archbishop’s House, when I offered to drop home a fellow IRO member who lives in Curepe,” Rev Paul said.

He also stated that at 8 pm, he dropped off the member at Curepe Junction and then proceeded to Sellier Street in an effort to evade traffic along the Eastern Main Road. As he slowed the car down at a crossroad, three men — one armed with a gun — walked up to the driver’s side and ordered the Reverend out.  “When I got out, two of them started kicking and cuffing me while the third jumped in the car.  They all sped off in the vehicle leaving me on the road,” Rev Paul said.

“I was dumbfounded. I said ‘My God I can’t believe this has happened to me.’ I was just in shock.” Rev Paul said he walked to the home of a friend who lives nearby and was given a lift to St Joseph Police Station where a report was made. Officers quickly went in search of the bandits but were not successful. The vehicle, a silver-grey Nissan B14 is valued at $60,000. “You know you treat reports of these kinds of things in a sort of academic manner, but when it happens to you, it takes on a whole new meaning. I can say that I really empathise with victims of crime, especially since I have first hand experience what it is all about.”