Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum is refuting suggestions that police have not questioned politicians as part of the investigation of the murder of activist Courtney Crum-Ewing.
While not giving an exact number, Blanhum yesterday said that at least two “political officials” have been questioned.
“It was brought to my attention that sections of the media are reporting that police are still to question any political official. However, this report is inaccurate. Investigators from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) involved in the Crum-Ewing murder probe are duty-bound to question all persons whose names have been mentioned during the course of the investigation, particularly those individuals whose names were provided by suspects in custody,” Blanhum said.
“From the commencement of this murder probe to present, investigators have contacted and questions at least two political officials,” he added.
Two suspects are still in custody and police intend to send a file to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for advice on possible charges this week.
Early in the probe, it had been revealed that Crum-Ewing had alleged that he was threatened by two known figures within the PPP and that a report was made to the Brickdam Police Station. Former Attorney-General Anil Nandlall, said to be one of those persons, last week denied that he had every threatened Crum-Ewing. Further, he said police had never questioned him in connection with the murder probe.
Rajput Narine, who had served as Nandlall’s bodyguard for four days after Crum-Ewing’s death, is one of the two men who has been taken into custody in connection with the crime. Following his arrest, Nandlall publicly denied any involvement in the murder.
According to Nandlall, Narine was hired after Crum-Ewing’s murder based on the fact that fingers were being pointed at him and persons close to him believed that he needed to beef up his security at his home and needed to have a personal bodyguard.
Narine, a former Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) officer and a current employee of the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), was hired based on a recommendation from his brother. No background checks were done prior to him being accepted for the job, Nandlall had admitted.
“Why would I retain somebody to be part of a plot? I would have to be very stupid to be involved in Mr. Crum-Ewing’s shooting, then go and hire subsequently a person who apparently has some connection with this killing and then make that person my bodyguard. I have to be insane,” Nandlall told a news conference last week.
