A man identified as self-confessed death squad member Shawn Hinds was observed sitting in a “strange car” that was parked near the home of Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo and this information has since been passed to Police Commis-sioner Seelall Persaud.
Nagamootoo told reporters yesterday that the sighting occurred about two weeks ago in the early evening hours.
“It wasn’t too late. It was perhaps after 8 o’clock. It was early…I was looking through my windows when I saw a vehicle that was parked beyond the bridge outside my house. This was Liliendaal/North Sophia at that junction,” he said before informing that it was neighbours who identified the occupant of the vehicle as Hinds.
“Neighbours were alerted… and the vehicle drove away very fast but there was another vehicle that came from the opposite direction, a black vehicle,” he said, before adding that he has since been informed that the second vehicle was identified as belonging to a top official of the former government.
“So, we have alerted the police apparently since then they have been trying to contact Shawn Hinds and so I think that it was out of that event, a heightened police interest in Hinds, that he might have decided to seek reference at Freedom House,” he added.
Hinds has recently gone public with allegations about his involvement in a death squad and the involvement of the police in extra-judicial killings and other questionable activities, including the assassination of political activist and journalist Ronald Waddell. Hinds, who has long been associated with underworld activities, has said he decided to come clean as he was certain that attempts were being made to frame him for the death of political activist Courtney Crum-Ewing.
Asked if he was convinced that Hinds was the person seen outside his home, Nagamootoo said based on information received the figure was identified as Hinds. “…We traced the vehicle. The number of the vehicle we have did not match the colour of the vehicle, so I could speculate whether it was a false number and I believe that that is as much as I can say right now— that I received information that I passed on to the Commissioner of Police and to other security agencies,” he added.
Nagamootoo, noting Hinds’ “very damning statements as regards the crime situation,” refrained from speaking on the guaranteeing security for him and pointed out that it was a matter for the police and that Minister of State Joseph Harmon has already indicated that government has not offered him any protection.
“I am not sure if he is a suspect… he should be arrested and I have a feeling that the police are interested in him,” Nagamootoo said.
Previously, he said Hinds’ name had featured in matters concerning his security and at one point when Hinds worked at City Hall with the former acting Town Clerk Carol Sooba he approached him. He said that he told Hinds “that I understand that he has an interest in me and he laughed and he didn’t say much on that occasion.”
‘Suspicious offer’
Meanwhile, according to Nagamootoo he is trying to ascertain whether Rajput Narine, one of the persons detained in the Crum-Ewing murder probe, was the same man who approached him during the elections campaign period to provide security services.
“He said that he was gonna watch my back and I was surprised, at first, by his nervousness …and talking he had provided security for me before,” he told reporters, before adding that he has recognised the name that has been published in the media but would have to confirm that it was this same person.
Narine, who is the former bodyguard of former Attorney General Anil Nandlall is one of two persons being held in connection with the Crum-Ewing probe. Sources say that it is believed that Narine is the person who hired the other suspect to commit the act. Nandlall has since distanced himself from the man and the probe, saying that he fired Narine after four days and he had only become acquainted with him after the Crum-Ewing killing.
Nagamootoo yesterday said the persons had approached him “and offered himself, his service as one of my back up security. He said I couldn’t remember him but I now recall that he told me he was either working at CANU or GRA and said that he was working with them but still felt that he wanted to protect me.”
According to Nagamootoo, he cannot recall if this encounter occurred before or after the Crum-Ewing killing but to hazard a guess it might have been after. “Then, on one occasion he said he’d like to be a member of the AFC. I don’t recall well but I think he collected forms to sign up for the AFC… all of this now are things that are unraveling,” the Prime Minister said.
He noted that it is strange that “you can situate someone in a situation where he was working for the former Attorney General, was already working for the state, his name is being called in relationship with criminal elements and he had found that a person like me leading up to the elections, a person of interest that he wants to help to protect.” He added that in this regard there might have been a wider conspiracy “that we don’t know of and this is why I would expect that the police would follow all leads to see whether there was a criminal syndicate that was attached to the PPP. I have a suspicion that there might have been….”
