— GGDMA hosts wake this evening

TWO persons are in police custody and another is being sought as investigations continue into a botched robbery at Da Silva Street, Newtown, Kitty, Georgetown, on October 14, which left a popular gold miner dead.

Killed in the robbery was businessman and gold miner Deon Stoll, called “Mow”, 44, of Charity, Essequibo Coast, Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) and of Barima Avenue, Bel Air, Georgetown

Reports indicate that Dr Alonzo De Santos and Wayne St. Hill are in custody.
Dr. De Santos, who is also a Guyana Defence Force (GDF) reservist, allegedly treated the wounded bandit involved in the robbery at his Prospect, East Bank Demerara home and did not report it, in accordance with the law.

Wayne St. Hill is the alleged driver of the getaway car used in the robbery in front of El Dorado Trading, the gold dealership located on Da Silva Street.
Police found the getaway car on Wednesday evening abandoned at Peter’s Hall, East Bank Demerara. There was a bullet hole in the back windscreen of the Toyota 212.
Hours after the shooting, residents discovered the body of Olijah Chesney, 18, in Tucville, located a few miles from Newtown.

He was shot to his chest and was initially suspected to be the shot bandit. However, the police ruled out his involvement in the attempted robbery, noting his death resulted from a separate incident.
An autopsy concluded that Chesney was shot once in the back and the bullet exited above the left breast.

Enquiries revealed that Stoll and his driver had earlier visited a business place on Sheriff Street and did a business transaction where they collected a sum of cash, after which they proceeded in a Toyota Carina 212 car, PPP 7227, to El Dorado Trading at 63 Da Silva Street, Kitty, to conduct another transaction.

They were apparently trailed by the bandits’ car. As soon as the gold miner pulled over at the gold dealership, the bandits’ car also pulled up and the two bandits exited the car, wearing caps with their faces partially covered with handkerchiefs.
One of the bandits, who was armed with a knife, approached the driver while the other approached the businessman with a handgun.

Reports further indicated that the robber with the knife ordered the driver to get out the car, while the other bandit told the businessman not to draw his firearm.
The driver then pushed the car door towards the bandit with the knife and came out of the car and was pushing the bandit away.
As a result, the bandit with the gun shot the driver to his right hand between the elbow and shoulder.

The businessman then drew his licensed firearm and he and the bandit with the gun had a shootout.
During the shootout, the businessman received a gunshot injury to the right side pelvis. The bandit, who was also shot, ran away and joined the car with his accomplice, and they made good their escape.

Meanwhile, the security guard of El Dorado Trading, 40-year-old Rory Deegs, who was armed with a pistol, opened the gate of the business to see what was going on, when it was alleged that the businessman, in a panic, discharged two rounds into his direction and he received injuries to the right hand.
The Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association has since called for justice regarding the brutal slaying of Stoll.

“The Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association (GGDMA) is deeply saddened over the cold-blooded killing of Stoll as he was about to conduct business at the establishment of El Dorado Trading.”
The association expressed profound condolences to the family of the late Stoll, whose life was snatched away from him as he sought to conduct business in a transparent manner, like any other decent citizen.

The GGDMA also called on the Guyana Police Force to focus their attention on addressing real crime and the removing of criminal elements from society.
“The association also calls on the Minister of Public Security, the Hon. Khemraj Ramjattan, to address this upsurge in crime across our country.

How many more must be robbed, or be slaughtered before it is accepted that we have a crime issue in Guyana which must be addressed? The time for seriousness is now. The Guyana Police Force and the Guyana Defence Force must weed out the rogue elements from among their ranks since all they do is tarnish the image of the force and the law-abiding officers.”

Today, the GGDMA will be hosting a wake at its North Road, Bourda, Georgetown office, in the aftermath of Stoll’s death.
Stoll was a prominent businessman in the city and had business interests at Charity, Region Two and one of the biggest hotels in Region One. He employed dozens of workers in his gold mining and other operations.

His death has sent shockwaves throughout the gold sector and has placed businessmen on high alert.