Would be assassin confesses, point fingers to deputy head of MARAD

THE Guyana Police Force (GPF) and the Ministry of Public Works are conducting their individual probe into reports by an alleged hit man who confessed that he was paid by the Deputy Director of the Maritime Administration Department (MARAD), Ms. Earnestine Mars Vigilance to kill her boss, Director General of MARAD, Ms. Claudette Rogers.

The Guyana Chronicle has been able to confirm that an official report was launched with the Guyana Police Force Criminal Investigation Department and the Minister of Public Works has taken a decision to send the Deputy Head of MARAD on administrative leave as the probe continues.
According to sources close to the investigation, Ms. Vigilance has been identified by several persons within the employ of the organisation as being a bother and an uncooperative senior officer, never appreciating the presence of the sitting Director General, and would usually give her a hard time by failing to carry out instructions and never willing to be a team player.
A source, who spoke with the Guyana Chronicle indicated that the gentleman who was allegedly paid by the woman to carry out the act is her relative, and recently served time in prison for an offence.
It was reported that the Deputy Head approached the man and told him of her plan and enquired of him if he had a gun to which he responded in the negative. The woman then reportedly asked the man where he could get one from and how much it would cost and he told her that a weapon would cost about sixty thousand dollars and she gave him half of the money to secure it.
The man, however, did not act on the woman’s offer but instead took the money and went to Suriname where he transacted personal business. The woman reportedly paid the man to carry out the act while she was out of the country so that there would be no connection to her and the dastardly act, which was to have occurred sometime in April last.
However, it was only several days ago that the plan came to light after the hired man showed up at the home of his target and questioned her if she was familiar with him to which the woman, Rogers, responded in the negative.
The man in the presence of Roger’s brother then identified himself and told of the plan to kill her as was organised by her deputy. The man reportedly told the Director General that Ms. Vigilance brought him to her village in a vehicle which Rogers was not familiar with and showed him the home where the Rogers’ lived.
He related that Ms. Vigilance told him that she would prefer to pass by the woman’s home in a vehicle so that she would not recognise her so there can be no linkage to her and the crime once it was committed.
The act was to be committed in April but when Ms Vigilance was away and did not hear anything strange happen to Rogers upon her return she began questioning the relative who obviously informed her that he was not interested in the job. The woman’s contention was then for the man to return the money he had taken to carry out the act.
After being briefed on the plan to have her executed, staff members from MARAD said that Rogers became very uneasy and shaky and asked the man (hit man) if he was willing to give a statement to the police to the effect of what he had shared with her and he responded in the affirmative.
The report was made and the police arrested the woman and questioned her in relation to the allegations.
However, the woman according to information reaching the Guyana Chronicle suggested that she told investigators that she never ordered a hit on her boss and that her relative was bitter because he was staying at her home and she asked him to leave.
But persons who are familiar with the two women have since indicated that the claims by the would be assassin is very convincing given the type of person Ms. Vigilance is and the fact that she never seems comfortable with taking orders from Ms. Rogers.

(By Leroy Smith)