Republic Bank (Guyana) held up

Yesterday, heavily armed gunmen robbed two banks in rapid succession in Guyana, shooting a woman and stealing two cars before escaping into the jungle.

According to an Associated Press report, about 15 assailants with automatic rifles and pistols stormed the Republic Bank Limited and Demerara Bank in Berbice County and made off with an undisclosed amount of money.

Authorities said a woman was shot during the robbery, but it was unclear if she was an employee or customer and her medical condition was not immediately available.

The report said attackers seized two cars at gunpoint and fled to the edge of the jungle, where the vehicles were found abandoned. No arrests have been made.

Repeated attempts yesterday to contact Republic Bank chairman David Dulal-Whiteway, managing director Ronald Harford and other senior bank executives for comment on the robberies proved futile.

When Newsday called Republic’s corporate headquarters in Port-of-Spain, a female employee said Dulal-Whitewhay would not be in office until next Wednesday while Harford was out of the office. Attempts to contact Republic’s corporate communications manager Anna Maria Garcia Brooks were also unsuccessful. Newsday was told that she was also out of office.

When Newsday called Republic’s branch in Georgetown yesterday, a woman who claimed to be a manager confirmed the robbery but declined to give any further comment or divulge her name, stating that things were still “fresh” there at the moment.

Prior to speaking to this woman, Newsday spoke with a man at the same branch who identified himself as a security guard. This man claimed there was a bomb scare at the Georgetown branch but did not give his name or any further details.

Efforts to contact Acting Guyana Police Commissioner Henry Greene for comment were also unsuccessful.