Saturday’s night execution style killing of popular businessman, Ricardo Fagunes, called ‘Paper Shorts’ outside of Palm Court Nightclub on Main Streets tells two stories. It tells a story that business places are not obeying the COVID-19 curfew guidelines. This is sad because the curfew is meant to keep people off the streets after certain hours and minimise congregation which would help in containing the spread of the novel coronavirus.
According to guidelines issued by the National COVID-19 Task Force (NCTF) bars, food services and restaurants can only operate during the hours of 04:00 hrs and 21:30 hrs (9:30 pm). Government has recently announced the Joint Services would be utilised in enforcing the guidelines though there is guarded skepticism this would be met with success. Guyana seems to have different rules for different people. Where this exists the rules will work for none. And in the case of the virus the number of cases and deaths will continue to go in the wrong direction.
There was an allegation made by the proprietor of Giftland, on the East Coast Demerara, that his business is being unfairly targeted to observe COVID-19 guidelines as other businesses get off scotch free. Two Saturdays ago the owner of Sleep-in Bar and Casino, in Georgetown, was arrested for failing to observe the COVID-19 curfew. It was his second arrest; the first being Friday night before.
The named businesses are not alone, though high profiled, but stand as evidence of the problems being faced in managing the pandemic. This is not good for Guyana and Guyanese. This publication makes another appeal to Guyanese to let good sense prevail. COVID-19 is not over and controlling the virus in a manner that will save lives and reduce infection requires obeying NCTF guidelines. Guyana remains a high risk country. This is not the rating Guyanese should find comfort in or become complacent with.
The other point of Mr. Fagundes’ death is how it was done. Whilst he was a popular businessman, he also had brushes with the law. In 2017, he was hauled before the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) in connection with a multi-million dollar probe involving Bartica gold dealer Saddiqi Rasul. That being said, his death had the trademark of reprisal killings once seen in Guyana during the heydays of the phantom and death squads. This was during 2002-2006 when these squads wreaked havoc in society and dead bodies were found thrown all over the place.
Mr. Fagundes’ body was riddled with bullets, allegedly about a dozen, which were pumped into him by high powered rifles used by the gunmen. He was then left lying in a pool of blood on the road. This is a killing that was meant to send a message, a strong one at that. It has the characteristics of underworld tactics. Is the phantom back?
Some suspect members of the “phantom squad,” as are still lurking around. If they are indeed, at least for the past five years of the A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance for Change government this suspicion did not materialise in killing as happened last Saturday night.
Three months ago gunmen opened fire on a Coldigen, East Coast Demerara building once occupied by Yuri Garcia Dominguez, the Ponzi Schemer. Mr. Dominguez is before the court for charges of conspiracy to commit a felony and obtaining money by false pretense. According to the statement issued by the Guyana Police Force confirming the shooting, “Information obtained revealed that three unidentifiable males exited a motorcar, number and make unknown, and opened fire on the building.” The named incidents are not normal attacks.
