*Video shown of policeman loading shotgun contrary to rules
*Calls from Rohee number to Seelall Persaud queried
*Storage of private dealers ammo at TSU to be checked
Investigations have found no evidence that members of the Guyana Police Force are responsible for the deaths of three men shot on July 18 at Linden, Crime Chief and Deputy Commissioner of Police Seelall Persaud told the commission inquiring into the shootings yesterday.
“I think the investigation showed that it could not be the police officers,” Persaud declared, during cross-examination by attorney Nigel Hughes, who is representing the interest of the families of Ron Somerset, Allan Lewis and Shemroy Bouyea, who died during a protest in Linden.
Persaud said that he was aware that the men had to have been shot using a shotgun and, under questioning by Commissioner Dana Seetahal, he added that “the fact that the ammunition was not issued to the ranks who were on duty tells me that it was ammunition that came from somewhere else and maybe persons other than the police.”
“It was not the police-issued ammunition that was used, that’s all I can really tell you,” she responded.
Persaud further stated that the ranks were operating in groups and he was “almost certain” that it would have been noticed if one of the ranks loaded their firearm on the ground, while noting that weapons are loaded by police before they leave the station.
“And the interviews so far showing me that no one saw anyone armed with a shotgun that day, extracting any ammunition from the firearm or loading the firearm while they were deployed,” he added.
“Are you aware that we saw earlier what appeared to be somebody loading ammunition into a shotgun?” Seetahal asked him. He said no and a video clip was then shown to him.
While viewing the video clip, Commissioner KD Knight pointed out to Persaud that a police officer on July 18 could be seen handling two rounds which he took from his pocket and loaded into the shotgun he was armed with. The Crime Chief then said the rank’s actions were not in keeping with the standard procedure.
“However, that is something, given that I’m aware of it now, [that] will be subjected to investigation… he will be asked for an explanation,” he told the commissioners.
Hughes also asked Persaud whether he caused an investigation to be launched into the fact that it was somebody other than the police who discharged the shotgun and was told that the force is already engaged to ascertain “who fired, when they fired, what is the extent of injury, the reasons for firing….” Persaud added that they have so far been unable to identify anyone else, other than the police, who was in possession of a shotgun at that time.
Persaud was also grilled about phone contact with Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee and former E&F Division Commander Clifton Hicken on the day in question. The Crime Chief said he was contacted by Hicken sometime after 7pm, when he learnt about what was transpiring at Linden. However, he stated that he did not speak to Minister Rohee on the night of July 18. Asked whether he may have spoken with anyone from the Ministry of Home Affairs, Persaud said he could not remember.
“Let me suggest to you that between 17:55 and 17:56, there were three calls coming from the Ministry of Home Affairs to your mobile phone,” Hughes said to Persaud, who said he would not deny that.
After being provided with a telephone number and being informed that it was the direct line to Minister Rohee at his office, Persaud said that as far as he is aware, you must be connected to someone at the minister’s office before speaking to him directly. As a result, he would not know the number for Rohee’s direct number.
“Let me suggest to you that five to six that afternoon, which is just before the incident occurred, you got three calls from that number,” Hughes said to Persaud, who again said that this could not be denied.
“I’m in constant contact with the ministry because of several law enforcement programmes that the ministry is steering… so there are calls on these programmes all the time… if the records from the telephone records are saying that then I accept but I would not recall every contact that is made,” he stated.
‘Threatened’
Called to the stand later yesterday was the rank who was seen in the video loading the weapon, Constable Collin Rodney, who said he took this course of action after the unit felt threatened by the protestors.
Commissioner Claudette Singh asked him if the entire unit felt threatened, why was he the only one seen on the video loading his weapon? “Probably their weapon would have already been loaded,” he responded.
The video showed that Rodney had loaded two cartridges into his shotgun although he had said that he only loaded one. According to the witness, Hicken was at the time in charge of the unit but he did not hear him pass any instructions. Rodney said instead, he was directed by Sergeant Roderick English to discharge rounds in the air. He noted that about five to six days subsequent to July 18, he returned his weapon to English. Out of his 20 rounds collected, Rodney returned 16.
Asked why he did not retrieve the casings for the cartridges he had discharged, Rodney said, “My own personal safety. People were hurling bottles and all kind of things, so I had to keep my eyes on the protestors.”
Meanwhile, earlier Knight requested that Inspector Leroy Alexander provide the commission with the records of ammunition held and sold at the Tactical Services Unit on behalf of private dealers.
Retrieved from the bodies of the dead were Double 0 buckshot pellets. Alexander yesterday pointed out that this type of ammunition is stored at the TSU office, through which private authorised dealers would have them sold.
“What record is kept? If a dealer takes his ammunition there to be stored, he would have a record of how many bullets he took there and each time that he sells and someone uplifts then there would be a record at the Tactical Services Unit and one also held by the dealer?” Knight asked the witness, who responded in the affirmative.
Asked about who would be in charge of the distribution of ammunition, Alexander said that he believes an Inspector is responsible.
“So at the Tactical Services Unit, it’s quite possible that buckshot are kept there for dealers… And according to the procedure, at least one member of the Guyana Police Force would have access to the buckshot?” Knight inquired.
“Well yes,” the witness said.
“Do you know if the licensed firearm holder who purchases it, that document which he takes to the Tactical Services Unit, would have on it both name and reference to the firearm license? …And that document would be at least in duplicate, one held by the dealer and one held by the Tactical Services Unit?” Knight further questioned. He was again told yes.
Knight then asked that these records from the TSU in relation to the sale of ammunition over a particular period be brought forward. “The commission would be obliged if you can do that for us but before Monday,” he stated.
Under further questioning by Commissioner Knight, Alexander said there are more than two authorised firearms dealers.
Attorney Peter Hugh, who is representing the Guyana Police Force, during his cross-examination, asked the witness if he would agree that in Guyana it would be possible to attain firearms and ammunition other than from the licensed firearm importers. Before he could answer, Knight intervened and said that it is his assumption that he is supposing it is done illegally, further explaining to Hugh that he must first ask the witness if Guyana has that sort of problem.
Asked whether he is aware of cases in the E&F Division where persons have been charged for the illegal possession of firearm and ammunition, Alexander said that for the year 2012, the police in that division would have seized over 25 firearms.
Two other witnesses also took to the stand to give evidence about the shooting; taxi driver Robert Green and Hector Solomon Senior.
Green told the commission that he was shot and injured to his “left side big toe” but only about five days later realised that a foreign object was lodged. According to the man, he had initially thought that he had stumped his toe but after personally examining it, he found that a small “fine bicycle ball” like object was lodged in his toe. Green said he removed this himself with a pin and yesterday commission lawyer Ganesh Hira submitted it into evidence.
The other witness told the commission that he was the father of Hector Solomon Junior, who was deejaying at the time when he was shot to his left side shoulder. The man said he accompanied his son to the hospital and saw Dr. Nurse extract a bullet. This, he noted, was given to him and subsequently to attorney Hughes.
