The Police Complaints Authority (PCA) yesterday said that it has recommended to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) that three cops be charged in relation to the fatal shooting of Quindon Bacchus on June 10.
A statement from the PCA said that the probe into the fatal shooting has been completed along with the statutory report to the DPP. The PCA said that copies of the report were to be sent yesterday to the officials designated by statute.
“I recommended to the Director of Public Prosecutions that three (3) members of the Police Force are to be charged. It is for the Director of Public Prosecutions to determine who is to be charged and what offences he/she/they is/are to be charged for”, the statement said.
It was signed by the Head of the Authority, Justice (Ret’d) William Ramlal.
Contacted yesterday, Bacchus’ mother Wonette Sandy said she welcomed the decision by the PCA and only hopes that the DPP will recommend the right charges.
She told Stabroek News that the family learnt of the decision via social media and feels that they are closer to getting some sort of justice. The completion of the investigation has assured the family that investigators are not dragging their foot but rather moving forward.
“I wish that all three of them get to face murder charges. I do hope good sense prevail and the DPP sees it that way,” she said.
The government, the police and the PCA had come under attack for not speedily addressing the killing of Bacchus. On June 28, one of the regular protests mounted by Bacchus’ family for justice mushroomed into a large gathering that saw the East Coast road being blocked and fires being set. The gathering later began wending its way to Georgetown and at Mon Repos some of the protesters attacked, beat and robbed vendors there. On other parts of the East Coast that day, the police were accused of indiscriminately firing tear gas and rubber bullets during which some persons were injured.
In the morning of June 28, it was President Irfaan Ali who had alerted the public that the PCA report was nearly finished. He had urged, to no avail, that the protesters leave the road.
“I am advised that that process has commenced and the process has made tremendous progress I am further advised that very early in the new week the Police Complaints Authority,…would be in a position to provide a finding based on the investigation to the DPP,” Ali said.
Stressing that the system must be allowed to work, the President said that the Chairman of the complaints authority had indicated that by (today) he would be in a position to provide his report to the office of the DPP.
He said that there is no basis for the protest on the road that is being seen and called on the residents to go home clear the road way.
“All of us want justice, all of us want fairness but we cannot base our actions on misleading information,” he said.
The Police Complaints Authority also issued a statement after midday on June 28 calling for calm as it wrapped up its investigation. It said that a thorough probe is necessary.
The GPF, in a statement on June 10, had said that at about 14:30 hrs ranks went to the Haslington New Scheme to conduct an operation based on intelligence they received earlier in the day. A 22-year-old construction worker had provided information, the police said, and later led the ranks to Bacchus, who was in possession of a firearm at the time and had intended to sell it to one of the ranks who was operating undercover.
The statement said the plainclothes rank, who was armed, made arrangements to purchase the firearm from Bacchus, who left and then returned with the gun. However, during the handing over of the gun, the police said an alarm was raised and Bacchus suddenly ran in a southern direction while also discharging a round in the rank’s direction. The rank then took out his service pistol and returned fire. Bacchus was reportedly shot during a further exchange of fire.
The GPF said Bacchus had a .380 pistol with a magazine that contained one round. The police also said that one .380 spent shell and two 9mm spent shells were recovered at the scene.
Bacchus later died while receiving treatment at the Georgetown Public Hospital.
A post-mortem examination showed that Bacchus had died of multiple gunshot wounds. Relatives of his had said that his body bore signs of six bullet wounds.
