Since he first went public with explosive allegations about
the existence of a death squad, the man who says he was once
an ex-informant for the group has vanished.
Now amidst calls that he give a formal statement to
authorities about his claims which implicate a high-level
government official, the question on everyone's mind is, where
is George Bacchus?
Stabroek News was told by reliable sources that Bacchus had
left the country. This was also confirmed by two other
sources, although there are conflicting reports about who
facilitated the move.
Bacchus first made headlines after the death of Shafeek
Bacchus, his younger brother, who was killed in a drive-by
shooting on January 5.
The death of his brother is believed to have prompted
Bacchus to go public with his knowledge about the formation
and the activities of a group that once hunted wanted
criminals; a group which was also responsible for several
contract killings which remain unsolved.
Shafeek Bacchus, a cattle farmer, was shot dead in front of
his home in a manner reminiscent of many other killings in the
preceding eighteen months.
During that time the country was in the midst of a crime
wave that saw 21 policemen killed by well-armed bandits. There
were also carjackings, kidnappings and carefully planned
robberies.
Both the police force and an army contingent that was
mobilised to offer support were criticised for their failure
to manage the situation.
Bacchus said that with the support of some members of the
business community and knowledge of the Minister of Home
Affairs, Ronald Gajraj, the death squad was formed to respond
to the criminals.
He said his participation was prompted by the terror that
was unleashed upon the Indian populations on the East Coast
Demerara, where villages were besieged on an almost daily
basis.
Bacchus, a businessman, used his own money to locate
criminals for the group, whose members used high-powered
weapons and posed as policemen many times.
The vehicles that they used, which were made available by
some members of the business community, could be altered
within a day - fitted with new licence plates and painted in
different colours.
In many cases no arrests were ever made by the police force
and the murders remain unsolved.
Halfway through last year, Bacchus parted ways with the
group after most of the men they were hunting were killed,
either by them or in confrontations with the police.
But although he had left he continued to monitor activities
of the group, which moved to killing for people who were
willing to pay. He said that his concerns about the group
mounted with this development, which coincided with a period
where bodies pumped full of bullets would be found on
abandoned roadways.
Bacchus gave a statement to an attorney even before his own
brother was killed, an event that led him to tell his story to
officials at the United States Embassy. Soon after, he
disappeared, his family saying that he was keeping a
low-profile for his own safety. This was the week ending
January 17, after which detectives visited his home on five
occasions to get a statement, according to then acting Police
Commissioner, Floyd McDonald.
Bacchus had said he would be available for the preliminary
inquiry into his brother's death but did not attend the first
hearing
