Trinidad & Tobago Newsday

Pastor at funeral of murdered businessman: ‘Vengeance belongs to God’

Written by Yvonne Webb on October 10, 2024

THE blood of all murdered people are crying out for vengeance, but Pastor Brandon Ramdial says vengeance belongs to God.

He made this point while officiating at the funeral for kidnapped businessman Sachel Kungebeharry on October 10.

Ramdial said he too was enraged that Kungebeharry, 32, was robbed of his life at such an early age.

“Rest assured,” he said at the house of mourning at Pierre Road, Felicity, “vengeance is not ours today. It is the Lord’s.”

Relating the biblical story of Cain murdering his brother Abel and God’s declaration, “your brother’s blood crieth out to me from the ground,” when Cain said he was not his brother’s keeper, and knew not where he was, Ramdial said similarly, the blood of thousands who have been murdered in TT are crying out.

“Can you imagine the cries of all those who were murdered, crying out to God, crying out for vengeance?

“It enrages me to know we have such heartless and mindless people out there, who roam around and not think about someone’s loved ones, someone’s children, what they would leave behind. And they snatch these lives as though it was theirs to take in the first place.

“The bible says it is a hard thing to fall in the hands of a living God and the God of Israel does not slumber or sleep, He is alive and once my God is alive, vengeance is His.”

The used-car dealer and father of a five-year-old son, was kidnapped on September 25, after the car he was driving was intercepted by two men dressed in police tactical uniforms and who alighted from a marked police vehicle.

A ransom was demanded on September 29 and Kungebeharry’s family paid $500,000. But he was not released. His body was found on October 3, in Longdenville,

Due to the advanced stage of decomposition of his body, Kungebeharry’s coffin was sealed, but it was covered in photographs of him in better times. One photos served as a condolence record, on which, mourners were invited to sign their names.

Three police officers, were detained as part of investigations into the kidnapping and murder of Kungebeharry. One of the suspects has since been released.

On October 4, Commissioner of Police Erla Harewood-Christopher promised that police officers who commit criminal acts will be booted out of the service and face the full brunt of the law. She said such incidents “threaten to erode the public’s trust” in the police service. To date, not one criminal charge has been laid.

Ramdial said while funerals were a norm for him, it was very difficult to bury a friend, revealing he had known Kungebeharry since he (the victim) was 13-years-old.

“He was a very good guy,” he said, explaining that Kungebeharry worked hard as a young man. He said Kungebeharry did not come from easy money but made do with what he had.

“Yet, it was never hard for Sachel to give anybody anything. He always swung by the New Testament Church, to ask if the church needed anything, and he gave. ” Ramdial spoke of earlier years when they would sit and dream of their future.

He said Kungebeharry would push a cart with music CDs which he sold. “I remember him saying, ‘I would make it one day. I would drive Benz and Prado, I would drive everything.

“His brother, Fabrice dreamt of going to New York and walking into a music studio and making it big like JayZee.” Ramdial said he was comforted that Kungebeharry had at least fulfilled some of his dreams.

In her eulogy, Priyanta Kungebeharry said despite her brother’s achievements in real estate and car dealership, he remained grounded. “He was a man of faith. A devout Christian whose belief in God was unwavering.

“Even in this time of sorrow, we find comfort knowing God has a greater plan for him and we trust that God will carry us through this difficult time.

“Though Sachel’s life was tragically taken from us, we leave room for God’s wrath. We leave everything in God’s hands.”

Kungebeharry was buried in the Hassarath Cemetery.