Ex-cop among two charged with

execution style murder

Two men were on Wednesday charged with the capital offence of murder. The men, former policeman Antonio Singh Balrup, 26, of Lot 5 Reliance Settlement, East Canje, Berbice; and Solomon Milton, called “Devon”, 23, of Nigg Settlement, Corentyne, Berbice appeared before Magistrate Shurdell Isaacs-Marcus at the Reliance Magistrate’s Court to answer the charge of murder committed on Patricia Samaroo, 64, of Lot 101 Bristol Street, Number Two Village,  East Canje, Berbice.

Antonio Singh Balrup

The men are accused of murdering Samaroo on Friday March 7, last, at Fyrish Village Corentyne, Berbice.
They were not required to plead and the matter has been transferred to the Albion Magistrate’s Court for a hearing on April 25, next.
They are represented by attorney at law Mursalene Bacchus.
Prosecutor, Sergeant Godfrey Plater, informed the court that the matter is still being investigated and other charges are likely. Another suspect is also wanted in the matter.
The woman a mother of four, was shot dead at point blank range in her head around 22:30 hours at her sister’s Lot 10 Nursery School Street, Fyrish Village, Corentyne home. Her sister, Annette Samaroo, 45, a mother of six, was shot to her abdomen; she was rushed to the New Amsterdam hospital.
The cops have a positive identification of the third suspect who has been identified as Deodat “Pop Corn” Seecharran who was said to be the gunman.
Family members had stated that the dead woman was a case of mistaken identity. They say, however, that they suspected that the main target was the injured sister, Annette, who had witnessed the killing of her husband, Gary Simon, on December 18, 2004, at Nigg Village, Corentyne, Berbice.
Two men barged into the house in which the two women were on March 7, last, and shot Patricia, who was visiting with one of her sons.
Annette who recognized the gunman, called him by name “Pop Corn”. “What you doing?” The man reportedly spun around and shot her in the abdomen. He had intended to shoot her again, but the gun malfunctioned.

Charged: Milton Singh

One of the woman’s sons who were part of a group of eight, were at home at the time watching a religious movie, tackled the gunman; but the latter managed to escape with his colleague in a waiting car, PP6437.
The vehicle was parked in the street and was purportedly being driven by a former policeman.  The car, the driver and the gunman’s alleged accomplice were arrested. The police also recovered two live rounds and two spent shells from the house.
The alleged gunman Deodat “Pop Corn” Seecharran is known to the family since he had visited the home on a few occasions. He is wanted for another murder that occurred in the Hampshire area last year. He has also been involved in a number of misdemeanours.
In the matter involving the injured woman’s husband, a number of persons are charged and are before the court. One assailant, Adbussulum Azimulla, called “Sato”, 29, of Lot 183 Hampshire, Corentyne, Berbice, was arrested eight years after the commission of the crime.
When he was arrested he was a part of the “Pop Corn” gang that had committed a robbery in 2012. He is said to be a close associate of the wanted man.
The woman was expected to be a witness in her husband‘s murder trial.

Shot dead:
Patricia Samaroo