Well-known electrician, Leon Joe, 29, of 37 North Haslington, East Coast Demerara, claimed yesterday that he was shot and injured by a member of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Thursday night.

Joe does electrical and maintenance services for Guyana National Newspapers Limited on a contract basis.

He is at a city hospital nursing a gunshot wound to the right thigh.

Joe, a soldier who is AWOL, told the Guyana Chronicle that about 11pm Thursday he received a telephone call from a prominent member of the GDF for drinks at a city night spot to settle a certain matter.

Reluctantly, he went to the location with the intention of making amends with the Officer.

He sensed something was wrong when he saw two other soldiers there, and one of them asked him if he was AWOL from the army.

They told him he would be taken to Camp Ayanganna.

“They put me in a vehicle, relieved me of $1.2M in cash and told me they would take me to D’Urban Backlands where they would fix me, because I like to talk too much,” Joe said.

Joe said that he knew his life was in danger and he jumped from the moving vehicle a short distance from the East La Penitence Police Station. He heard a loud bang and ran until he saw a trench and swam across.

He later ran through the East La Penitence Market and hailed a passing taxi.

At that point he realised he was shot.
He went to his home on the East Coast Demerara and was later taken to hospital.