Lone gunman executes East Coast Demerara businessman

A lone gunman walked into businessman Mark Kandhai’s Industry, East Coast Demerara grocery store shortly after 02:00 hrs yesterday and pumped two bullets into his head and abdomen.

Kandhai, 32, was killed execution-style by a man who had entered the victim’s grocery store, which offers 24-hour service, under the pretext of purchasing an item.

Police who went to the scene found a third bullet lodged in a chair inside the slain man’s home, located on the Industry Railway Line.
Commander of ‘C’ Division Gavin Primo said that police are still seeking a motive. But he disclosed that
Kandhai had had previous brushes with the law.

According to Mr. Primo, the victim was also suspected of drug trafficking and police had recently searched his home.

Kaieteur News understands that Kandhai was also suspected to be involved in the recent theft of some $6M from an interior resident.
But Kandhai’s relatives denied that he was involved in any illegal activity.
According to the Commander, investigators are checking a surveillance camera on the premises in the hope of identifying the killer.
He also stated that his ranks are interviewing persons and processing the crime scene for clues that may bring the killers to justice.
When this newspaper visited the scene yesterday Kandhai’s relatives and friends were gathering at the home to offer their sympathy.
Roselyn Nelson, the dead man’s niece, yesterday told Kaieteur News that it was around 02:00hrs when a white car stopped a short distance from the shop.
She said that a man came out of the vehicle, entered Kandhai’s grocery store, and asked the grocer, who was at the counter, for an item.
Nelson said that the ‘customer’ gave some money to Kandhai, who then turned away to get the item.
The businessman was about to hand over the item when the customer drew a firearm and shot him.
“Is when he turn around to hand he de thing….de man start fuh shoot he….de first bullet miss and de second one went straight to the head and the other to the belly,” the niece said.
After hearing the gunshots, the relative said that Kandhai’s wife, Shellon, who was in bed, rushed to see what had happened.
“All she see was Mark lying on the floor covered in blood…He look like he de already dead.”
Nevertheless, relatives rushed him to the Georgetown Public Hospital where he was confirmed dead.
Kandhai, who is survived by his wife and six children, is the fourth person to be executed for the year.
The first victim was businessman Carlos Persaud, called “Jason”, whose body was found in Le Repentir Cemetery with four gunshot wounds.
Then on April 7, last, Brian Chung, 40, was gunned down in the yard of his Da Silva Street, Newtown home.
Chung had alleged some months before that some TSU ranks had tried to extort money from him following a drug find. The case was dismissed after his death.
Two Sundays ago, former light-welterweight boxer, Linden ‘Buckman’ Mortley, was abducted and shot dead on a bridge connecting Festival City to Lamaha Springs.