As reports swirl of corruption ongoing in `B’ Division, another rank has come forward with information which suggests that the accused lance corporal was paid to ensure that slain bandit, Kelvin Shivgobin, was not rearrested in the two murder cases in which he was a suspect.
Shivgobin, also known as ‘Kelly’, 32, of Belvedere Village, Corentyne, was one of three men killed in a shootout with police in Berbice recently. The others were Ramnarine Jagmohan, 33, of Belvedere Squatting Area, and Sewchand Seelall, of Johanna, Black Bush Polder.
One of the cases, the 2016 murder of Corentyne businessman, Patrick Mohabir, was discharged against Shivgobin in 2018 due to lack of evidence. It has been alleged that the lance corporal was paid a total of $1 million to ensure that he was not rearrested in that investigation.
Additionally, the source claimed that in relation to the Bushlot double murder, the same lance corporal was paid to ensure that someone else took the fall for the crime.
According to the police officer, who also spoke to Stabroek News after promised anonymity yesterday, after the 2016 murder case was discharged against Shivgobin, they had received information that advice would be given to recharge the man. However, the lance corporal who was allegedly the bandit’s mole in the force, contacted him and made him aware. The source said that Shivgobin allegedly handed over $500,000 to the lance corporal and another rank, a corporal, whose numbers were found in the bandit’s phone.
The source identified a taxi driver from Albion, Corentyne, who transported the two ranks to Shivgobin’s location to retrieve the money.
Meanwhile, the source said that shortly after the first $500,000 was paid over, the lance corporal once more contacted Shivgobin and reportedly told him that he wanted another $500,000 to ensure that he was not rearrested for that murder case. “I know (lance corporal) had the file and he say that advice give to re-arrest this man and we went on patrol but I know he take the money and we never hear back about the file, the file went in he possession for sometime,” he related.
The source said he overheard a conversation while on patrol, during which the lance corporal told Shivgobin that he (lance corporal) had to pay his “boss man” a portion of the money, hence he needed more.
The source said he glanced into the lance corporal’s phone and quickly memorised the number on the screen, which he later confirmed belonged to Shivgobin.
He stated that the patrol which was on the hunt for Shivgobin, was then diverted to the taxi driver’s house in Albion, Corentyne, while the lance corporal and a detective constable, whose number was also found in Shivgobin’s phone, disappeared for a while.
It is suspected and confirmed by the source that the duo left to pick up the second $500,000 from Shivgobin.
Stabroek News has confirmed that there is presently no advice in the file stating that Shivgobin was to be rearrested for the murder. According to information gathered, the matter was discharged and the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions was awaiting the deposition in the matter.
Furthermore, Stabroek News confirmed with a senior legal person that it is not unheard of for advice to go missing in a case file while in the police’s possession.
Meanwhile, the rank who spoke out yesterday, when questioned whether he was one of the person’s whose number was found in the cellphone as is being alleged, denied the allegation. “I can give all me numbers and GTT and Digicel will get information who I call. That is not true. I know is police tell you that but is na true,” he stated.
Furthermore, the source told Stabroek News that he chose to speak out after he saw that several of his fellow colleagues spoke out recently. “I trust you and I don’t trust these people in this force. People need to know what going on because is all a we gon get blame,” he said.
Shivgobin was also wanted by the police for the murder of Bush Lot brothers Premcharran and Harricharran Samaroo, who were fatally shot during a robbery at their mother’s house on December 31, last year. Following the murders, police had received information that Shivgobin had fled to Suriname but returned to Bush Lot, Corentyne, where he was hiding out at a friend’s house. However, he was never found.
Several ranks had told Stabroek News that the said lance corporal and corporal received some $800,000 in total to tip off Shivgobin whenever the police received information on his whereabouts.
They explained that the lance corporal often boasts that he is “untouchable” as a result of the protection given to him by the senior officer. To illustrate the situation, they cited a case where the lance corporal allegedly pulled a weapon on a relative during an argument, which resulted in his firearm being taken away and him being transferred out of the division. However, one rank said the lance corporal later boasted that the same day he received the transfer to the Tactical Services Unit, he contacted the senior officer, who rescinded the transfer. The lance corporal reportedly claimed that he paid the senior officer $120,000 to ensure that he was not transferred out of the division.
Meanwhile, according to the ranks, the senior police officer is well known in Berbice as the person to contact when in trouble. They had said he is often seen at a known gambling spot in Rose Hall, where he receives money from persons to ensure certain matters are settled in their favour.
The police officer who came forward yesterday also confirmed that he too was aware that the lance corporal had paid the senior police officer to rescind his transfer. “That man (lance corporal) does deh talking so we know nobody can’t do he nothing, so that’s why we does deh quiet but people talking out now”, he said.
Meanwhile, according to information gathered, senior ranks in B Division have launched an investigation into the allegations. However, the ranks, who all spoke to Stabroek News, are continuing to call for an independent investigation into the allegations, as they believe that it will unearth corruption within the division and force.
