One time murder accused Clive De Nobegra Gates, who changed his name by deed poll to Robert Alan Gates and who is currently serving a 48-month prison sentence, yesterday testified that after being threatened he was planted as an undercover agent in the Working People’s Alliance (WPA) and was later promised a large sum of money and free passage out of Guyana if he facilitated the killing of party executive Dr. Rupert Roopnaraine.
Testifying yesterday to the Walter Rodney Com-mission of Inquiry at the Supreme Court Law Library, Gates said that he had befriended Roopnaraine in 1979 after he (Roopnaraine) was arrested in connection with the burning down of the Ministry of National Development. He said that he became inspired to leave the force after being told of the WPA and as such could not carry out the task that was later given to him. At the time he met Roopnaraine, he claimed that he was a constable heading an intelligence unit within the Guyana Police Force.
The CoI was set up to probe the death of Rodney, the co-leader of the WPA, who was killed after a walkie-talkie given to him