Head of Guyana media murder gang held

Shortly before midnight on Tuesday of last week the Georgetown based newspaper was attacked by a gang of heavily armed gunmen who reportedly also wielded cutlasses.

Chetram Persaud, Eion Wegman, Richard Stewart and Mark Mikoo were reportedly made to lie face down on the pressroom floor as gunmen shot them one by one in the back of the head. Photos later released by Kaieteur News showed the bloody lifeless bodies of the workers.

According to Guyanese Police sources, the leader of the notorious Guyanese gang was held as he attempted to flee a Georgetown Hotel.

The man was reportedly also the main suspect in the murder of Guyanese Agriculture Minister Satyadeow Sawh.

Two other suspects were held as a result and Kaieteur News owner/publisher Glen Lall remains optimistic about the capture of the rest of the gang.

Regarding the impact of the incident on his workers Lall said, “I am not scared but many of the pressmen are very frightened. I have seen death first hand.”

Lall was referring to an ordeal during which he was tied up, dropped off in Guyana’s dense forest and set on fire.

“I have become kind of numb. After that, almost nothing can drive you to the extent of being fearful,” declared Lall.

When asked about the well-being of the paper itself since the incident, Lall explained, “We have been able to hold up so far but the murders have placed undue pressure on the pressmen. I have been lucky enough to pick up some old staff as a little backup. Sales have increased since the shooting, now everybody wants to see Kaieteur News.”

Lall pointed out that he was covering the cost of the funerals of his four employees and said that he was also in the process of arranging compensation packages for the families of the victims, especially the pregnant wife of Mikoo.

Immediately following last week’s murders Lall expressed his displeasure at the neglect of an application which he had made in 2004 for senior media officials to be given firearm licences.

Due to the gruesome incident the Guyanese Police have accelerated the process and are in the process of reviewing the application.

Three suspects were also held for the last Friday’s robbery of Republic Bank (Guyana) in which a woman was shot.