Businessman wanted for policeman’s murder

A man who was linked with the discovery of a large airfield at Orealla back in 2007 is now wanted for questioning in relation to the murder of Police Constable Jirbahan Dianand. The businessman, 40-year-old Mool Persaud Maniram also known as “Francis”, is said to be the owner of a logging concession in the Crabwood Creek, Corentyne area.

The businessman’s last known address is Lot 72 Crabwood Creek, Corentyne, Berbice and he is about five feet five inches, of medium build and fair in complexion. Dianand was shot to death in his car earlier this month. A post-mortem examination revealed that he was shot twice to the head.
Police had initially arrested and questioned several persons including the dead man’s colleagues. The 23-year-old Dianand was credited with making a number of drug interdictions in the Crabwood Creek area.
Meanwhile, Persaud’s name first surfaced back in 2007 when the Guyana Defence Force had seized an illegal airstrip located some 80 miles upriver from Orealla in the Corentyne with a burnt-out aircraft on it along with a smouldering all terrain vehicle and a bulldozer.
In a press statement back then, the GDF had said it is believed that the airstrip was constructed to facilitate transshipment of narcotics and the conduct of illegal activities. The army had launched the operation following the sighting of the airstrip during a routine flight to New River by a GDF pilot who on flying over the airstrip, noticed the aircraft parked halfway up the airstrip and several persons clad in dark clothes emerging from the jungle, the GDF release said.
According to the GDF, the aircraft, a Let 410 turboprop that is manufactured by the Czech Republic, carried a Venezuelan flag and it appeared that it was severely damaged after attempting to take off and had skidded off to the right of the airstrip.
The army said it is felt that the Czech-made aircraft was deliberately burnt after the persons had seen the aircraft flying over the airstrip and anticipated an interdiction operation.
The smouldering all terrain vehicle and the removal of the bulldozer’s starter, the GDF said then supported this theory. The GDF statement said too that extensive construction works were undertaken at the airstrip since it was some 3600 feet in length, which is longer than the Ogle aerodrome, and 375 feet in width, wider than Timehri runway. However, only some 1800 feet of it was usable and the construction seemed geared to upgrading the remainder of the airstrip. According to the GDF, after seizing the airstrip, the troops conducted several probing patrols and discovered a 25-feet trail that led for some two miles to the Corentyne River, which suggests that the bulldozer and other equipment may have been transported through the river. It is unclear whether Persaud was ever arrested for this incident, although a wanted bulletin was issued for him after police discovered that some of the machines found at the site were registered to his company.