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Guyanese bandit killed in police shoot-out

Posted August 29, 2008 08:25:00

Guyana's top criminal and an accomplice were killed in a shoot-out with security forces, police said.

Divisional police commander Welton Trotz said Rondell Rawlins, 33, and Jermaine Charles, 23, were shot by police and soldiers near the country's international airport, in Timehri, about 32 kilometres south-east of Georgetown.

The pair had been blamed for the 2006 murders of agriculture minister Satyadeow Sawh and two of his siblings, all Canadian nationals.

An accomplice of the two fugitives was also killed in the shootout, but the police have no record of him being involved in any previous offence.

One soldier was also wounded in the incident, Mr Trotz said.

The security forces are looking for a woman believed to have been harbouring the fugitives.

Rawlins and Charles were blamed for the April 2006 murder of Mr Sawh, his brother and sister, shortly after they had returned home from a family function.

Rawlins was never captured but Charles escaped from detention two months ago while awaiting his return to a Georgetown maximum security prison pending trial for the murders.

Charles was also charged with several other multiple murders, including the killings of five printing press operators in August 2006.

Rawlins was also implicated in several massacres, including the death of 11 women and children at their homes in January that intensified a man-hunt for him.

A $US250,000 dollar reward was placed on his head.

- AFP

Tags: law-crime-and-justice, crime, police, murder-and-manslaughter, guyana

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