Businessman John Henry, the CEO of Crystal Beverage Company, was gunned down outside his home at Canary Drive, Mc Bean Local Road, Deonarine Junction East, Couva.
Masked gunmen pumped several shots into Henry around 7.30 pm on Wednesday. Couva Police said his relatives made attempts to resuscitate him and rushed him to a private hospital in Freeport. However, he was dead by the time he got there.
The gunmen escaped in a white Nissan B14 motorcar that they later abandoned and burned in the vicinity of the Camden Heliport. The scene was visited by officers of the Couva Police Station and the murder is being investigated by Insp Maharaj of Homicide South.
Mukesh Ramsingh, president of the Couva Point Lisas Chamber of Commerce said he was appalled by the latest murder.
He said, “Mr Henry was brutally gunned down outside his residence. The chamber is appealing to persons who have video footage to share this with the police. There are too many crimes taking place and people are refusing to share footage that would help solve these crimes.
“The spate of murders and criminal activities continues to be too much for the man on the street and members of the business community to bear. We now live in fear. I heard that automatic rifles were used to shoot Mr Henry. The chamber would be partnering with the Citizen Surveillance Network of T&T and the T&T Police Service to have cameras installed at businesses and residences that would link directly to the police network. Interested persons would not have to pay for the cameras or their installation but a low monthly fee. We in the chamber are looking at several ways to beef up security.”
Couva South MP Rudranath Indarsingh, meanwhile, said he was disgusted.
“We have another businessman being gunned down because of the Government’s inability to effectively control crime. We are getting statistics and promises from the Government but no real action. The public wants to see arrests of gangs and drug dealers, not policemen carrying out a roadblock and giving an elderly person a ticket for a bad number plate.
“I have to question the use of police resources. Crime and criminal activity must be given priority. The death of this businessman signals that it’s dangerous to do business in T&T. What happened after the crime symposium? Taxpayers were saddled with a $15 million bill to mamaguy the public while regional leaders were misled into believing that crime was a public health emergency.”