Acting Police Commissioner David Ramnarine said last Friday that the police investigation into the 2015 gunning down of political activist Courtney Crum-Ewing is still very much alive.
Police had managed to bring a murder charge against Regan Rodrigues called ‘Grey Boy’ but this was dismissed earlier this year. Rodrigues was charged with having possession of the gun used in the killing but that too was thrown out by the court. Several persons including Kwame McCoy had been fingered but of recent there has been no indication from the police that the investigation is active and that the persons fingered are still being treated as suspects.
Asked for an update during a press conference held at Eve Leary, Ramnarine insisted that given the interest in the matter the investigation is ongoing.
He was asked specifically whether the police are still pursuing a line of investigation with respect to the last four suspects to be arrested.
“Obviously no case of that nature would be deemed a cold case… of the interest generated and the circumstances would [it] be deemed a cold case? So obviously work would be ongoing,” he told reporters.
Crum-Ewing, 40, was shot dead on the evening of March 10, 2015 at Diamond, East Bank Demerara, where he was urging residents to vote against the incumbent PPP/C at the May 11 general elections. He was shot five times, including three times in the head.
For weeks prior to his death, he had held a one-man protest outside then Attorney General Anil Nandlall’s office, calling for his resignation over controversial statements he made during a telephone conversation with a Kaieteur News reporter that was made public. Nandlall has since denied any involvement in this crime.
Rajput Narine, Nandlall’s ex bodyguard, had been taken into custody on August 7 last year and questioned but was released without being charged.
His lawyer had said that although police told Narine he was being arrested in connection with the Crum-Ewing investigation, while in police custody he was never questioned about it. There was, however, a confrontation between Narine and Rodrigues.
Within days of the murder about eight persons were charged in connection with the probe and a vehicle impounded. CCTV cameras were also checked in the hopes that investigators could pick up useful clues.
Police announced a major breakthrough months later claiming that a gun which was found at Rodgrigues’ Riverview, Ruimveldt home during a search was used in the Crum-Ewing killing.
Reports stated that prior to the alleged discovery of the weapon Rodrigues escaped by jumping into the nearby Demerara River. He turned himself in a day later to police.
Subsequently, he was charged with illegal possession of the gun and ammunition and murder.
However on January 11, he was freed of the gun and ammunition charges following a trial. Magistrate Fabayo Azore had handed down the decision stating that the prosecution had failed to prove that Rodrigues had had knowledge and possession of the gun and ammunition. She was, however, satisfied that he was arrested and escaped custody, leading her to find him guilty of that charge and impose a three year sentence.
In September this year, Rodrigues was freed of the murder charge.
Magistrate Judy Latchman said that there was no evidence which suggested to the court that Rodrigues was the one who pulled the trigger that night when Crum-Ewing was murdered.
The gun was the only piece of evidence linking Rodrigues to the crime
The magistrate stated that throughout the case the accused and the supposed evidence against the accused never implicated him in the murder and as such he was discharged and free to go.
In February this year police detained, McCoy, Jason Abdulla, Sean Hinds and Okenny Fraser and questioned then in connection with the murder.
Stabroek News was recently told that the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has since appealed the dismissal of the gun matter against Rodrigues and following the dismissal of the murder charge sent for the deposition. It was explained that once the deposition is received, it can be used to file an appeal.
