POLICE in ‘B’ Division have arrested the prime suspect who was identified as Reggie Ramsammy called “Boy” of Whim Village, Corentyne, Berbice for the murder of a fisherman at the #65 Village fishing dock Thursday morning.

The 49-year-old suspect was arrested around 18:30hrs on Thursday evening. The dead fisherman has been identified as 38-eight-year-old Devanand Jailall called “Shetty” of Lot 578 Block 8 Agriculture Road, East Coast Demerara. According to information, both the suspect and Jailall were working on the fishing boat “Master Roberto” when an argument ensued over the smoking of drugs in the boat. An eyewitness, who is also a crew member, allegedly stated that Jailall was smoking a banned substance and cooking when the suspect asked him to remove from the boat and urged him not to smoke on the vessel which was moored at the Number 65 Fishing Dock. After the man refused to leave the boat, an argument ensued which led to an altercation and the suspect allegedly fatally stabbing Jailall ten times about his body. The suspect then dropped the murder weapon and fled the area.

Meanwhile, a niece of the dead man, Yashmanie Rampersaud, said her uncle had come to their Port Mourant, Corentyne, Berbice home in search of his sister and his 14-year-old son. “Mommy wasn’t home and he stay a little, saying he really wanted to see his son, but the boy don’t live with us anymore. So uncle left, saying he coming back tomorrow,” the niece related.

His sister, Dhanmattie Rampersaud, was in tears when she arrived at the scene. She told reporters she was hoping to see her brother but will never be able to see him alive again and will never know what he wanted to say to her. “Little after one [o’clock] I get a call from my niece saying something happen, so I come up here to find out. This is shocking to us,” the woman said tearfully. When this newspaper arrived at the scene, investigators had just wrapped up their initial investigation at the scene and left the area. Blood was still visible on the boat and inside the cabin. Fishermen converged later, discussing the incident coming just weeks after several of their colleagues were murdered at sea in Suriname. “So much thing ah happen these couple days, meh nah left meh family and go sea,” one fisherman remarked. The body was taken to the Skeldon Hospital Mortuary awaiting a post-mortem examination.