Barbados calls off search for missing Guyanese fishers

After more than three weeks, the Barbados authorities have called off their search for the two missing Guyanese fishermen.

Samuel Dabideen, 43, and his son Arjohn Persaud, 23 were reported missing at sea since October 2.

Owner of the boat they were on, Wilfred (only name given), said yesterday that he had returned from Barbados on Thursday and that the authorities there had been searching for the men since last week Monday. He explained that he had received a letter from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which he had taken the Barbadian authorities. However, several days of searching the island and the water for the men proved futile.

“We still believe they are alive,” Wilfred said, “because up to now they can’t find the boat or the other stuff that were strapped onto them to help them float so they must have gotten off somewhere but we don’t know where.” He said he will continue searching.

Earlier last week the Trinidad and Tobago authorities had also called off their search following a week of looking.

Wilfred explained that private searches were still going on off the coast of Venezuela and they are still hoping to find them soon.

The men’s family also expressed similar sentiments and said that they are praying for their safe return.

The two men, along with Omadat Basdeo and Mahesh Singh, had embarked on the fishing trip on September 27, on a vessel owned by Wilfred. On October 2, Wilfred contacted Dabideen’s family to say he and his son were missing at sea. A decision in the trial of Carvil Duncan, the former director who is accused of stealing almost a million dollars from the Guyana Power and Light Inc (GPL), is slated for tomorrow.

Magistrate Leron Daly stated yesterday during a hearing that a ruling will be made on whether a prima facie case has been established against Duncan.

She further stated that the prosecution’s request to reopen Duncan’s case will not be granted given the fact that if the case were to be reopened it would not be to fill any gaps.

Duncan is facing charges that he and another, on March 31, 2015, at Georgetown, conspired to steal $984,900, which was the property of GPL.

It is also alleged that Duncan and another conspired to steal $27,757,547, between May 7 and May 8, 2015. That money was also the property of GPL. The charges against the accused stem from payments that were made by former GPL Deputy Chief Executive Aeshwar Deonarine and Duncan to themselves and which were uncovered by a forensic audit that was commissioned after the APNU+AFC government entered office last year. The money allegedly stolen by Duncan represents retroactive payments for his time on the GPL Board.