Acting Chief Magistrate Melissa Robertson yesterday remanded to prison a 22-year-old West Ruimveldt resident charged with the murder of the power company’s security chief.
Arnim Griffith is accused of being a member of a gang of men who allegedly murdered Chief Security Officer of the Guyana Power and Light Incorporated (GPL) Clifford Peters on May 4, while he was on an operation removing illegal electricity connections in the Lamaha Park squatting area.
An expressionless Griffith stood in the dock of the court at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court and was informed by the magistrate that he was not required to plead to the indictable charge of murder.
Griffith’s lawyer, Basil Williams called the charge “one of the tragedies of our justice system.”
He said that last Tuesday his client was stopped by a mobile police patrol while he was riding his uncle’s motorcycle.
When asked for the documents for the motorcycle, Williams said, his client told the police he did not have them since the bike belonged to his uncle. He was then arrested and taken to the Brickdam Police Station. The lawyer said further that Griffith’s uncle was contacted and he went to the station and tendered the relevant documents.
The defence counsel said his client was kept in the police lock-ups for more than 72 hours and was afterwards told that he was being charged with robbery under arms. The following day, he said, his client was placed on an identification parade with 14 others and he was “allegedly picked out” as one of the persons involved in the murder of Peters. His client was then charged with murder.
The lawyer requested that the court take into consideration that no investigation was ever carried out by the police nor was there any evidence linking his client to the murder.
Williams then stated that he may take the case to the High Court where he would request that bail be granted to his client under such circumstances.
He said his client had an unblemished record and that he lives with his mother and father at their West Ruimveldt home. He added that his client was an assistant building contractor, a body builder and a male model.
He said the case needs to be “fast tracked” and that it should be transferred to Court Three or Two for a speedy preliminary inquiry which should not be extended over a three-year basis.
Police Prosecutor Denise Griffith then stated that the issues highlighted by Williams were merely part of his defence and differed from her facts. She said while the defendant was being arrested, the police had informed him about the murder he was accused of being involved in. She said he was never arrested for any robbery under arms.
Williams then stated that from information gathered, his client was initially charged with robbery under arms and that statements were written up at the police station for that, but were suddenly changed to statements about the murder of Peters.
Griffith then requested that the prosecution be given three weeks for legal advice to be sought from the Director of Public Prosecutions.
The magistrate subsequently ordered that Griffith be remanded to prison and that he appear back in court on June 5.
Peters of Essequibo Street, Lamaha Springs (Joint Services Housing Scheme), died shortly after one of two armed men shot him in the neck, chest and about his body. He was rushed to the Davis Memorial Hospital but was pronounced dead on arrival.
Police in a press statement had said they were investigating the murder, which occurred while Peters and other GPL personnel were engaged in the removal of illegal electricity connections.
Two men had reportedly approached linesman Allan Savory. An argument developed and Savory called out to Peters who intervened and was shot multiple times by one of the men. The men, according to the police, escaped with Peters’ licensed revolver.
A senior police source had said that the motive of the attack was not robbery.
