Kidnapped farmer killed
Shot in jaw, dumped in Annandale/Buxton trench
By Andre Haynes
Stabroek News
November 1, 2002
The body of 65-year-old cane farmer Motilall, who was abducted from his farm on Wednesday morning, was yesterday found dumped in the Annandale/Buxton sideline trench.
The body, which bore gunshot wounds in the area of his left ear and jaw, was discovered floating in the trench by members of his family at around 1 pm yesterday afternoon.
The discovery of the man’s body was the shocking conclusion to the ordeal for his family, who were made to suffer agonising hours of waiting and taunts from the kidnappers who had initially demanded a $20M ransom.
While Stabroek News was informed on Wednesday night that the man’s body had been found in a canal at Sideline Dam, his family could not confirm this and they still held out hope for his safe return.
Five men, all of whom are believed to be in their teens, abducted the man from his farm at the Buxton Backdam at around 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday. According to family members, as the man sat on the side of the bridge leading to the farm, he was met by three men armed with guns while two others kept watch. Cane cutters and labourers looked on helplessly while shots were fired and the man was reportedly dragged from the bridge and taken away by the men towards the Friendship area. This was the last time he was seen alive.
Stabroek News understands that the man’s relatives, acting on information received during a telephone call scoured the area where his body was found and retrieved from the trench. Following the discovery the family contacted the Vigilance Police Station.
A release from the Police
Public Relations Department yesterday said the man’s body was found with wounds to his ear, jaw and chin. Three 9 mm spent shells, one warhead and a quarter roll of duct tape were recovered at the scene.
Stabroek News yesterday spoke with the man’s widow, who was unable to contain her grief after receiving the news of his death.
She related that after his abduction, the family was contacted by the kidnappers who toyed with them as their hopes diminished.
Shortly after the abduction she said they requested payment of the $20M by 1 p.m., threatening to kill the man if their demand was not met. She said her sons went to the handing over spot as instructed by the kidnappers but there was no one there.
Later in the day the kidnappers again contacted the family, telling them that payment was of no use since they had been paid to kill Motilall. The voice over the phone teased the family, she related, asking whether the family was ready to collect the body. Another call early yesterday morning sent family members searching the Buxton Backdam area, but this was again in vain.
She said because of the crime wave, she had warned her husband of the danger of going into the canefields in the early morning but he would not heed her warnings.
At Annandale where he was widely respected, residents were in deep mourning as the news of the man’s death circulated.
They paid their last respects to the mourning family of the man they remembered fondly as ‘Uncle Jinga’ and ‘Aju’.
He is the second victim to be killed in a series of kidnappings. Another man, Camaldeo Ganesh was found dead in the Buxton backlands after a ransom had initially been demanded.
Motilall leaves to mourn his wife, five children and fifteen grandchildren.