Shooting of Yida Zhang and Robbery at Crabbs Property Recorded as Unrelated Events; Residents Ask, ‘Why the Deception?’

Official sources appear to contradict the ABS-News report on the shooting of Chinese businessman Yida Zhang on Sunday afternoon, August 9 – leaving residents with more questions than answers.

That account, which was picked up by other media houses, reported that Zhang had been shot twice during what appeared to be a robbery attempt at a warehouse in the Special Economic Zone at Crabbs.

However, police reports record a building break-in and larceny as having occurred at 6:20 p.m. on Thursday, August 6, with three men being taken into custody.  That report was called in to the Parham Police Station by Senior Sargeant Babb.

When officers from that station inquired into the report, they allegedly were told, by Babb, that a suspicious vehicle, a Nissan Frontier, had been sighted on the compound.

On investigation, Babb reportedly said, the three men – two in their 30s and one in his 20s, from Freeman’s Village and All Saints – were found to have loaded a number of window frames from the burgled building into  the pickup.

Accordingly, the trio was arrested and detained at the Parham Police Station and the vehicle was also brought in for further investigations. Official reports say the scene of the robbery was processed by the Forensics Unit.

Meanwhile, the shooting of Zhang – who is said to have taken two bullets to the torso – is officially reported to have occurred three days later.  Hence, it is not known why ABS, which broke the story, conflated the gun attack with the robbery when the suspects already were in custody.

Interestingly, the shooting, at 4:15 p.m. on Sunday, was also reported to the Parham Station by Senior Sargeant Babb.

Officers responded to both Crabbs Peninsula, where the scene again was processed, this time by the director of the Forensics Unit and another officer, while Zhang was observed receiving treatment at Mount St. John’s Medical Centre. 

Allegedly, another Asian man and the attending doctor were interviewed, with the latter confirming Zhang’s injuries and assuring that his condition was stable.

Meanwhile, unconfirmed reports allege that Senior Sargeant Babb and Prime Minister Gaston Browne remained at Zhang’s bedside for hours on Sunday night.

It was widely thought that the YIDA Special Economic Zone employed tight security on its extensive and well-fenced property and that Zhang, himself, was a closely guarded man.  Therefore, some residents are asking how anyone from the outside could have gotten close enough to attack the investor and wondering about a reason for the assault.

They are also asking whether Senior Sargeant Babb – who is known to be connected to a Cabinet Member – has been assigned to the Special Economic Zone in a professional or private capacity.

One resident says the report of the incident is “fishy to say the least” and that he does not expect the Police to be forthcoming about it.