| By Melissa JohnsonROSE HALL TOWN,Wholesale NBA Jerseys China, CORENTYNE – Fire of unknown origin destroyed a two-storey building that housed three business entities at Rose Hall Town on the Corentyne, yesterday.In the aftermath, there were accusations and allegations of theft leveled against some members of the Guyana Police Force and the Guyana Fire Service.Many residents insisted that a fire fighter removed money from the burning building and this resulted in several quarrels, some of which ended in fisticuffs. A female fire fighter told the Kaieteur News’ Berbice Reporter, “A civilian slapped me in my face.” She declined to provide any further information.The business places burnt are – Jai’s Footwear, Pawn Shop and Jewellery; Mathadeen Western Union and Bill Express; and A&N Cosmetics and Gift Centre. These were all situated on the ground floor while the owner of the building, Gregory Beharry, and his family resided in the upper flat.Miraculously, a Pentecostal Church, also owned by Gregory Beharry, and attached to the back of the same building was only scorched.Many persons preferred to seek ill-gotten gains rather than lend the much needed helping hand during the blaze.By 11:00 hours three persons were in custody at the Rose Hall Police OutPost for offenses such as looting and assaulting a female fire fighter.Just after 08:00 hours, a neighbour, Asha, said that she was preparing ground pepper. “I just turn around and see this red,Stitched Jerseys, red at the back upstairs by where the white grill is. It start in a room. Me run out and say, ‘Out the fire, throw water! But nobody do anything; like everybody get stupid.“The fire engine come a good while after from New Amsterdam. Everybody been at home over there when the fire start. The business places did already open since 7:30 – 8.00 am.” Her home was water soaked and the water tank and PVC fittings were damaged.The landlord of the building, Gregory Beharry, refused to comment, “Me ain’t got time to talk to nobody!” and walked away.Proprietor the of Jai’s Footwear, Pawn Shop and Jewellery, Latchman Cipriani,China Jerseys Wholesale, of Ankerville, Port Mourant, at a glance, claimed that he lost everything but later stated that he could only determine that when given a chance to enter what is left of his business place.“I had about 500 to 600 pennyweights of gold there. I have a bond with shoes and all kinds of things burn up. I had a chest with money. Yesterday (Thursday) I changed a $3.5 million cheque at the Demerara Bank and I put the cash in the chest. I had some money from sales and so but I can’t say exactly how much.”However, a police rank later said, “Cipriani lost nothing. He told the police he had a safe. After the blaze was extinguished, the police and fire officials accompanied him and his manager, Narvindra Persaud, of Lot 142 Clifton Settlement,Jerseys Cheap NFL, Port Mourant, back to the scene to open his safe. Using a sledge hammer they couldn’t open the safe.“As a result of that, he got somebody with a blow torch to cut it open in his presence and his manager’s, police and fire officials. What was found in the safe was an envelope with $5,000; five bunches of keys and a box with silver jewellery. That’s all the safe contained.”Earlier ranks had detained the manager, Narvindra Persaud. “He is in custody for assault and other offenses. He allegedly assaulted Section Leader Denise McPherson of the New Amsterdam Fire Station,” the police source said.Cipriani said that he got a telephone call at 08:15 hours informing him that there was a fire at the rear upper flat of the building.Mr. Cipriani claimed that the owner of the structure was not at home at the time the blaze was discovered; but two young children were.Employee of the Mathadeen Western Union and Bill Express, Angelica Tiwari,Cheap NFL Jerseys, recalled that there was a long queue in their section and she observed some of the customers running out of the business entity.“Someone say fire and everybody (customers) run out.”She said there were three employees on the job. There was also about $1.5 million for the Western Union section and $80,000 received from Bill Express transactions. “We knew there is only one entrance and we were not sure where the fire was. I told them throw everything in the safe and we run out.”Mathadeen Western Union and Bill Express recovered $160,000 that was out of the safe after the blaze was extinguished.Cedric Peters said that his children own the A&N Cosmetics and Gift Centre, managed by his wife Zelika Peters. “We lost about $1.5 million. We were approaching the building when we saw the fire. We saved about ten percent of the stuff. The looting was very heavy.”Deputy Commander Johnson, Senior Fire Officer, Latchman Cipriani, the detained Manager and other officials entering the building.His son, Abzal Peters, an employee of Geddes Grant, is not pleased with the actions of some persons. “Looters more than helpers. When I came, I was approaching with the company’s vehicle, there was no police present to clear the road for me to drive through to see if I could save anything.“When the fire engine came – no water, they had to go to a nearby canal. The fire fighters should have done their job; they allowed a set of civilians to do what they want.”Mark Beharry said that his sister, Sandra Beharry, owned the property. He was on the scene by 08:30 hours and claimed that he saw one of the fire fighters doing a little more than he ought to.“I trying to out the fire. I saw the fireman, one of them pushing the money in his pocket and move away from the chest in the bottom flat. A boy – the Manager of the Jai’s (Footwear, Pawn Shop and Jewellery) try to take away the money from he and the police come and carry away the boy to the lock up.”Latchman Cipriani added that some fire fighters abused their authority. “The fire fighter tek the sledge hammer and try to lash my manager in his head. On to now the fireman was not arrested even though I tell the police. I would sue the police! Is my business, is my money and they holding the wrong man.“For the first time I am saying the police are corrupt.”At this point a fire fighter came out to the public road and tossed $620, which was recovered from the building after the blaze was extinguished, on the road in front of Latchman Cipriani asking, “Is this yuh talking ‘bout? The fireman ain’t thieving,Wholesale NFL Jerseys Authentic, he fighting the fire!”Less than five minutes later another firefighter brought out two small plastic bags of coins. Mr. Cipriani snapped at the official saying, “Don’t pick up me money, y’all implicating y’all self.”A male resident too endorsed these claims, “We are suffering at the hands of the police. We are innocent people. They arrest a man they catch looting, carry him to the lock ups and he jumped over the counter and escaped.Mark Beharry said that he is also saddened by the uncaring attitude of some villagers, “Rose Hall got a lot of youngsters, instead of trying to out the fire they thieving.”A man who gave his name as Vicky said his son-in-law, the Manager of Jai’s Footwear, Pawn Shop and Jewellery, Narvindra Persaud,Cheap NFL Jerseys China, was arrested by police as he was attempting to save his employer’s assets.“In the midst of the fire he catch the fireman putting the money in he pocket. He say, ‘Look the man got the money in he pocket. The police snatch he and carry he to the lock up. He is the manager, he protecting the business and the police lock he up.”A fire land rover from the Guyana Sugar Corporation, East Berbice Estates – Albion was the first to arrive on the scene.The residents claim that the fire tender arrived from New Amsterdam some time between 09:30 and 10:00 hours.According to a source from the Guyana Fire Service, a relay water system was put in place with the Albion land rover pumping the water from a nearby canal and supplying the fire tender from New Amsterdam Fire Station. There were about 15 firemen including those off duty.There was heavy police presence and this was boosted by Neighbourhood Police ranks. The official indicated that Mathadeen made no allegations of theft and was rich in praise for the job done by police ranks in securing the area.Detectives recovered some $22,000 after one of the looters, a man known to the police, dropped the money and ran. Police are hunting for him.The spokesperson also said that at the time of the fire, the owner of the building, Gregory Beharry, his wife and five children were at home on the upper flat. |
