Thursday, August 17, 2006

by Gordon French
Caribbean Net News Guyana Correspondent
Email: gordon@caribbeannetnews.com

GEORGETOWN, Guyana: Police in Guyana have confirmed the arrest of a 19-year-old male suspect involved in the execution-style murders of five pressmen from the Kaieteur News, who were all shot in the head by marauding gunmen, who stormed the newspaper's printer located about two miles south of the capital, Georgetown.

Police nabbed Jermaine Charles, also called "Skinny" on Saturday outside of a city hotel while in the company of two others believed to be part of large gang responsible for a number of gun related crimes.

Charles was wanted by the police for questioning in relation to the investigation of the murder of the Minister of Agriculture Satyadeow Sawh, who was assassinated in April of this year. Police stated that he was also a suspect in the shooting death of a businessman. The .32 pistol stolen from the victim and which police believed may have been used in the executions was found with Charles.

Since his arrest, police have also been able to carry out more arrests, including the detention of a man who it is believed may have identified several targets for the gang.

On August 8, five Kaieteur News pressmen were shot at point-blank-rage when gunmen stormed the newspaper's printer. Four died the night of the attack while another died on Sunday after spending days in a comatose state in the intensive care unit of a city hospital.

Another group of gunmen simultaneously carried out attacks in nearby communities that left two dead and the police hard pressed to dismantle the gangs.

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