A BUSINESSMAN of Better Hope on the Essequibo Coast, known as ‘Aaron,’ was beaten and robbed at his home by a lone bandit just after midday last Sunday.According to reports, the businessman who was home alone, was at the back of his two-storeyed house in the lower flat  when a man, who is a known thief, walked into his yard and asked for a drink of water.
The businessman, who was not well, reportedly got up and went to the kitchen to get the water for his uninvited guest when he was attacked from behind. He was choked and beaten until unconscious and fell to the ground, whereupon the assailant rushed to the upper flat of the building and began to search frantically for money and jewellery.
The businessman’s wife, who was not at home at the time of the robbery, said her husband’s gold band, other pieces of jewellery and an undisclosed sum of money were stolen.
Several villagers said they saw the felon around 12:30hrs with a carton box on his head, but did not realise that he had just committed a robbery.
One even recalled seeing the man swimming naked across a canal to get to the Better Hope sea-dam with its thick vegetation, but did not know he was a thief, and that he had just robbed ‘Aaron.’
Reports are that the thief had travelled by minibus, and stopped off near the businessman’s place around midday Sunday.
Residents of the village are calling on the police to make every effort to capture the thief and bring him to justice. (Rajendra Prabhulall)