10th of April, 2025. Guyana, South America. GSA News. Guyana News.
Last updated: April 11, 2025 at 14:51 pm
President Ali yesterday, 10th of April, 2025, during a Press briefing at Marriot Hotel, told reporters that the investigations into the murder of gold dealer Ricardo Faguntes is currently underway and an important piece of evidence was sent to the FBI. The president said that the Guyana Police Force, after receiving recommendations from the FBI, will question persons of interest in Guyana.
Ricardo Fagundes, called Paper Shorts, was gunned down in front of Palm Court in Georgetown, Region 4, Guyana, South America on March 21, 2021. The case went cold subsequently, but was reignited for some mysterious reason a few months ago. A few months ago, local media outlet, Guyana Daily News, posted that a reward is being offered for any information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the killer of Ricardo Fagundes. It is not clear to this publication if persons called in to give information. However, President Ali told reporters on Thursday, 10th of April, 2025, that an important piece of evidence was sent to the FBI which is working closely with the GPF in trying to nail Fagundes’ killer.
According to President Ali, the Guyanese Government has been accused of covering up the murder of Fagundes because of the closeness of one of the suspects or the prime suspects in the murder. Today, he reiterated that he doesn’t want to be accused of any underhandedness or wrongdoing, and that he is allowing the police to do their job with all the necessary aid.
According to reports, Fagundes was at Palm Court on Main Street, Georgetown on the evening of March, 21st, 2021 when his phone rang and he went outside near to the road to take the call. Upon stepping onto the road, he was riddled by bullets by two gunmen who exited a white fielder wagon motor car, and who fled the scene after committing the act. This however, was not the first time an attempt was made on Fagundes’ life. According to the media, his car was riddled with bullets several times on past occasions. However, he narrowly escapted death at those times. In one instant, about 17 years ago, one of his friend who was in the car was killed when a gunman opened fire. On another occasion, Fagundes and his sister were in the car, but the bullets missed them.
Fagundes was a good friend and associate of infamous drug kingpin Shaheed “Roger” Khan who was convicted and spent about 15 years’ prison time in the USA. Khan, at the funeral of Fagundes, said that the bullets that killed Fagundes were meant for him. He described Fagundes as his “son” and vowed vengeance with a clenched fist. Khan was also at Palm Court with Fagundes on the night of the assassination.
In 2022, Seargeant Dion Bascom made damning allegations to the media, which was shared widely across social media, accusing the Guyana Police Force of covering up the murder of Fagundes and protecting the suspect. He fingered popular Georgetown businessman Azzrudin Mohamed and his security head, Mark Richmond. Mohamed subsequently clapped a 400 million dollar lawsuit on Bascom for defamation of character. However, Bascom said there is no way Mohamed will get that money.
“In August, police officer, Dion Bascom alleged that a businessman bribed members of the Guyana Police Force to foil an investigation into an execution-style killing of Ricardo Fagundes, a gold miner. As of October (2022), police had not investigated Bascom’s claims”, the US Department of Statement said. The officer had multiple Facebook lives and posts accusing Mark Richmond, a security guard with Mohamed’s Enterprise, of being involved in Fagundes’ murder. Fagundes was killed in a hail of bullets in March 2021 by two men who emerged from the back seat of a heavily tinted white Toyota Fielder Wagon. Bascom had even implicated popular businessman Azruddin Mohamed in the crime and accused one of his bosses at the Criminal Investigation (CID) Headquarters, Mitchell Caesar, of conspiring with them to cover up the matter. Bascom had requested protection from the state via his lawyer, Nigel Hughes, but President Ali never granted his request.
