– Ranks at stakeout to give statements Investigators from the Brickdam Police Station and Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) yesterday revisited the scene of Saturday’s confrontation that left two suspected bandits dead in the yard of Golden Grove, East Bank Demerara businessman Ravi Dookram.The investigators questioned Dookram’s wife and some of the family’s immediate neighbours, and Commissioner of Police Leroy Brumell said that they are to take statements today from the ranks who participated in the stakeout.“So far, I think they have a statement from the lady, (Dookram’s wife) and the ranks will be questioned tomorrow (today),” Brumell said.Dookram’s wife told Kaieteur News that the investigators questioned her about the circumstances that led to the shooting.“They asked me what happened and I said that I was not around; we got information about the bandits and we jumped in a taxi and left about ten minutes before (the incident).”According to the woman, the investigator also scoured the yard for signs of the shooting. She related that the family had to discard some blood-spattered clothing that was hanging on a clothesline.Brumell said that he ordered the investigation because of the conflicting reports that have emerged, particularly about where alleged bandits Paul Bascom and Alberto Mustapha were shot.A police release had stated that the men were shot “while approaching on foot.”However, Brumell has since stated that Bascom and Mustapha were shot in Dookram’s yard. Residents had also said that they saw the police removing the bodies from the businessman’s yard, and Kaieteur News had also observed drying pools of blood in the yard near one of the front gates.Police have said that they staked out the area after receiving information that bandits were planning to rob a ‘gold miner.’”At about 22:30hrs, the police challenged two men who were approaching on foot and one of them pulled out a handgun and opened fire on the ranks. The police returned fire and fatally wounded both men,” the statement said.The slain men were identified as Paul Bascom, called ‘Shine Buck’ of Diamond Housing Scheme, East Bank Demerara and Alberto Grant, or Alberto Mustapha, 28, called Mukie, of Lot 299 Meadow Brook Gardens.Police also said that they recovered a .38 snub-nose revolver with two live rounds and two spent shells, along with one 9mm. round and two 7.62 x 39 rounds.Bascom was charged last year for shooting and robbing Diamond, East Bank Demerara businesswoman,Cheap NFL Jerseys, Bibi Samaroo. She was shot in the right shoulder and pelvis and robbed of $25,000. However, he was released on $1.8 M bail last March.However, Mustapha’s relatives insist that he was no criminal. Kaieteur News understands that investigators are checking into Mustapha’s background.Dookram operates a trucking service that plies the interior routes. He told Kaieteur News that he was returning from an interior location when the shooting occurred. His wife and three children were at home.The businessman said that he was told that while he was still heading home, police ranks informed his wife that bandits were planning a robbery at his residence.“She was scared and pack up and left with the children,” he said. “Then the policemen took charge; that is all that I know.” Dookram said that he was later informed about the shootout.
