REGION 6 Chairman Mr David Armogan has refuted an article that appeared in the Guyana Times detailing that “David Armogan is of the view that the recent break-ins at secondary schools in New Amsterdam were carefully planned and involved staff working at those schools.”

As a result of that article, the Region’s educators have expressed disappointment in their Chairman, who once served as a teacher in the Upper Corentyne district.
The article has seemingly painted a picture of Region 6 teachers as being thieves; and setting the record straight, following several break-ins at secondary schools in New Amsterdam, Armogan told this publication in his office on Friday: “I do not have anything against teachers…I don’t think teachers would get involved as thieves and vagabonds. There must be someone in the school system, maybe one person, who is giving out information, a liaison to others…I am not [going to make] a blanket statement to blame teachers. If that is the impression conveyed to teachers, I am sorry.

“Further, I don’t mean to be vicious where teachers are concerned. We ought to be thankful to teachers; they are very poorly paid people. The fact is that they are doing this great job [and] it is bad to accuse them….”

During the earlier weeks of the August vacation, three secondary schools in New Amsterdam were robbed of cash and other items, and female security guards were physically and even sexually assaulted.

Between the wee hours of 02:00 and 03:00 on July 30 last, six youthful, masked bandits successfully robbed the New Amsterdam Multilateral School of $1M along with two cheques valued at $400,000, before allegedly sexually assaulting a female guard on duty.

During that attack, Security Guard Conrad Cort, aged 72, was gagged and taped before being cuffed in his face, as the bandits told him to “cooperate, or I will shoot!”

This happened before the bandits broke into the administrative block and stole the money garnered from registration fees for the new academic year. Head Master Narinedatt Dhanraj said the stolen cheques had been made out to former teacher Joanna Robertson, who was expected to visit the school shortly to uplift the outstanding sums.

Two days later several young, masked bandits went to the Berbice High School, where three guards were on duty.
Subrina Rajaram, a young mother of two, was physically assaulted after she resisted the “teen” as they attempted to take her purse containing $20,000. She was subsequently overpowered, but after explaining to the perpetrators that the money was intended to assist in her toddler daughter’s upkeep, one of the bandits returned $3000 before leaving with her cellular phone. Thereafter, Rajaram went to the New Amsterdam Hospital where she was examined by a doctor.

The next night, the thieves went to the Tutorial Academy Secondary School, where they beat and bound two guards before breaking into the headmaster’s office and removing $10,000.

And failed robbery attempts had been made at the Vryman’s Erven Secondary School and at the Berbice Educational Institute, because the guards at those locations were alerted by their companion dogs. While some guards raised an alarm, others secluded themselves in nearby bushes and trenches.

The bandits had next turned their attention to the New Amsterdam School of Nursing, a northern window of which they broke and removed $9,000 belonging to the student society. Several persons were detained, but no charges have been instituted. Nevertheless, investigations are continuing.

By Jeune Bailey Vankeric