Ballistic tests on the spent shells found at the scene of the slaughter of eight miners at the Lindo Creek camp show no link between weapons used by gunmen connected to the Rondell Rawlins gang, well-placed sources in the police forensic unit have disclosed.
Testing of the 7.62 spent shells mostly used to fire AK-47 and M-70 rifles began on Monday and yesterday officers within the forensic unit completed the analysis, finding no match of the shells previously retrieved from murder scenes thought to have been carried out by Rawlins’ gang.
Up to press time last night the police had not officially disclosed the findings from the ballistic tests and when contacted Crime Chief, Seelall Persaud declined to comment.
Other senior sources within the Guyana Police and Defence Forces have also declined to comment publicly on the results of the ballistic analysis, although they acknowledged being aware of the findings. Leonard Arokium, owner of the Lindo Creek dredge has accused the military of killing the miners, but the Joint Services have dismissed his allegations as unthinkable and unimaginable, saying that ranks are highly and specially trained and experienced in the execution of their duties whether in urban or rural terrain.
It is not clear, given the findings of the ballistics test whether the army would subject its weapons issued to ranks who were in the jungle to an examination.
Senior joint services officials have admitted that there were a number of outstanding questions to be answered, but one top official told Stabroek News yesterday that the time to answer those questions was not yet. The official mentioned that investigations were still ongoing in the area and at the end the findings would be made public.
Stabroek News had been told that lawmen who visited the Lindo Creek camp site found evidence of some of the miners being tortured. This newspaper has been informed that one of the skulls found at the location had an impression suggesting that the person was beaten in the head. According to information reaching Stabroek News, on arrival at the camp all the lawmen found were burnt bones.
Resemblance
Security officials believe that the manner of the miners’ killing, with some evidence of torture noticeable, bears some marks of the modus operandi of a particular criminal gang. “While I will not speculate there is some resemblance,” one official said, adding that soldiers would not beat anyone with hammers and burn their bodies.
On Monday the joint services said in their statement that the very conduct of their operations would not allow for such actions. “While we understand the state of mind of Mr. Arokium, having lost his family members in this manner, it is unproductive to directly accuse the Joint Services without any shred of evidence and based solely on speculation”.
They further stated that based on information received from reliable sources, the heinous act was committed by criminal elements they are actively pursuing.
Early Saturday morning, Arokium discovered all of his mine workers dead in a camp located south-east of the country. The men were shot and killed and then burnt. Arokium said he only discovered skulls and bones at the scene. Some relatives of the men are adamant it was the work of the security forces, while others 
believe that gunmen roaming the jungle after fleeing from the joint services three weeks ago might have killed the miners.
Stating that he believed that the army was responsible for the attack and that it could not be Rondell Fineman Rawlins and his gang, Arokium told Stabroek News in an interview on Sunday night that the fugitive would have had to come into “enemy” territory to launch the attack. He explained that the camp could be reached by travelling strictly over land. Driving from Linden and through Ituni there was a “turn-off” 76 km before reaching the Kwakwani junction. The “turn-off” is the UNAMCO logging road which is located approximately a 30-minute walk from the main road. According to Arokium, Fineman was probably moving away from the Joint Services ranks that were scouring the area around Christmas Falls for him and his gang. 
Fineman would then have logically crossed over the Berbice River, the man said. He went on to explain that had Fineman wanted to attack the camp then he would have then had to cross the Berbice River once again, this time moving towards “enemy territory” where the Joint Services ranks were awaiting him. Arokium believes that no man in his right senses would have done that. “I think that the army did it. All the evidence points to the army,” Arokium charged.
Arokium last evening told Stabroek News that on Saturday night when the matter was first made public two government officials, Prime Minister Samuel Hinds and Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee visited his Meten-Meer-Zorg, West Coast Demerara home in search of him but he was not there. However, he said later that night he met with the officials at his Crane Place, South Ruimveldt residence.
“They kept insisting that it was Fineman and his gang that killed the men, but I am not a little boy. They are supposed to be professional and should not make their rank and file get out of hand,” he said.
Further the man said if it were that the men were killed by mistake, the Joint Services should come out and say so. He insisted that the joint services were well aware of where his camp was and noted that he had been told that only days before, his son had assisted the lawmen in cleaning meat which they shared.
Arokium recounted that the young men in particular, who worked with him were youths who he had taken under his wing and given a job, adding that it was extremely saddening the way they were killed. “Those 
boys were not supposed to be killed like that I took them into my hands, give them work and they were learning the job beautifully and they were never lazy, they did their work well,” he recounted.
Asked whether he had heard any word on whether the remains would be flown to the city and handed over to relatives, Arokium said he was not aware of when this would happen since he has not been notified by anyone.
“They haven’t told me anything and the people’s families are calling me and I don’t know what to tell them because I myself ain’t hearing nothing,” he said.
It is believed that the miners were killed sometime between Sunday June 15 and Tuesday June 17.
Government Pathologist, Nehaul Singh who had viewed the bodies is yet to make any pronouncement as to how long the men might have been dead.
So Fineman and his gang weapons were not used in this attack. Lets run the ballistic test on the Joint Forces and Army weapons of all personnel that conducted the search in that area and see if in fact the murders were commited by them. If its determined that the Joint Forces and Army personnel weapons do not match, then they may another group (military or criminal) similar to the phantom squad.
I don’t think the government is prepared to face that, so I’m not sure the will produce the weapons to match the spent shells. Hence, they’ll have to be someone one who is feeling guilty and decides to leak the information as to what really happened.
Then there should be an independent ballistic test done to clear the joint services weapons,this should be done by an international agency. Also why would the PM and a Minister visit the home of the Dredge owner and try to persuade him that this crime was committed by any individual that was very unprofessional on the part of both men if that is true. I guess that if it was a mistake made by the joint services they should fess up….at the end of the day they will all be free people, since justice in Guyana is really blind,instead of asking the international community for helicopters the Goverment if serious should look at importing a Police Commissioner from the UK like was done in Jamaica and other Caribbean nations,but I guess that wont be in the Governments best interest since their motto is He who pays the piper calls the tune!!
The visit by the PM and the Minister is what scaring me right now. Why would a Prime Minister visit this man’s home after this incident and trying to convince him that it was fineman before an investigation was even started. How many other persons have they done this too? A Prime Minister doing investigation work? I bet this was known to High Ranking people long before Mr. Arokium become aware of it.
Is there anyone ludicrous as me to believe that perhaps, just perhaps, there are people sinister enough to slay these men in order to thwart the apparently cogent operations in disintegrating a criminal enterprise?
Isn’t it possible, even remotely, for a group of iniquitous people, armed with hammers to kill these men, then manipulate the crime scene by deliberately leaving spent shells, so that the Fineman pursuit is staggered, or that even the beast will be exculpated?
Isn’t any of this possible in a land where criminal possibilities and pure evil are unbridled?
Popeoplefedup..
Today you will walk a fine line. Why is it always have to be fineman and his gang? Isn’t there any other theory that you can come up with. what about another death sqaud, Real Mercenaries higher by powerful people, A new RK on the sence? Is any of this possible. What about an army within an army? Listen i have a few theories but the editor won’t allow me to state them but please lets just think beyound fine and his gang for a while and see what else is out there. Its time we re-read the reports for the past month to see if we missed anything.
What we will notice happening is not strange……it probably is better to blame the so called Fineman gang for this as well (this is not sarcastic).
I have read and followed and the more I follow the more I get concerned for the status of our dear country.
I don’t trust any of the people in power peddling from the opposition leader, to the president and his cabinet to the AFC leaders to Hamilton Green and all the military and security forces.
“Evil begot evil”
Fineman has been made to be the only monster responsible for killing, crime will not be solved with this thinking. If it is not Fineman it is someone trying to silence Fineman. Fineman has gotten what he wanted to be Infamous.
Now I wonder when the crime continues after Fineman is caught and killed, who will you look to blame, Fatman?
We look at people being burnt after or before killed and find it to be some type of killing that only represents Fineman’s gang. What about so many men that have been cut to pieces and buried and many other cruel deaths…they are not psycotic they are heroes. All that the burning signified was the coverup of evidence, death and smell of the dead, nothing more, nothing less.
This Hammer issue has been taken out of context…it has been reported that it is one Hammer and one skull that looks like being hit with it. Anyone could have easily planted that hammer and broken a skull. Tampering with evidence has been done before in Guyana, all the Caribbean and in North America. From the facts I don’t believe Fineman did it, but who knows…somebody did it and thats the bottom line.
one thing for sure the A. F. is not covering up any thing, as some had suggested.
the truth will reveal, the two persons that made the called to the owner must be located and questioned, they know a lot more.
…….surreptitious subterfuge,,,, the maladjusted thing that is,, as they say “master
minded” the terror now at high octane levels in GY,, he knows that the police and the army are engaged in forensics,, so his manoeuvres,, are so meticulously
displayed with the element of confusion as the modus ,,to allow him time to regroup and then come with much lethal and robust force the next time ,, possibly on “regent st” but i hardly think regent st is where he will hit ,, it’s simple ,, call in regent st ,, so the forces will concentrate on that area ,, while he targets some place else ,, that will be with out any security ,, the water ways of Gy is definitely a means of transportation that needs to be monitored,, it is simple to see that those who created this monster can not,, now,, control it ,, the murders/ execution,, mafia style,, at de waterfalls papah have a mole for the celebrated
( by the pnc ) freedom fighters,, or he/she is being manipulated out of fear ,, the connection of the killings of the 5 from the papers should not be lost on anyone with a modicum of common sense ,, the levels to which crime in GY has escalated is soley and primarily connected to the cocaine that is coming into GY through the porous borders ,, and in many cases aided by the amerindians ,, those whose hands are in the cocaine trade in GY ,, will,, and have paid,, with their lives when they step out of line ,, the recent such horror ,, was the “head ” floating in a canal ,, all of the “dots” can be connected ,, as a matter of fact it is so simple even the blind can see the dots…… it’s the nature of the beast !
THE USA does not have DEA personels in Guyana so how did they create a report on the drugs situation in Guyana?
From the Local police force?
You mean the same police force and CANU that was willing to place drugs pon she?
The puzzle pieces are falling into place slowly but surely. For once the test proves that Fineman gang was not responsible for the murders.
Now test have to be done on the weapons the JS is using and the finding have to be revealed whether in their favor or not.
I guess u must be jubilant now .It’s not Fineman!!!!!! HOORAY
not because the bullets didn’t match fineman’s guns it means he didn’t bludgeon the miners to death…sledge hammers and chainsaws don’t fire bullets…
Duh!
Why would the soldiers need to burn the bodies after robbing & killing the men? Surely they could not think of it as a way to “cover up” the evidence.
How many skulls were found? Maybe evil got the best of one or two of the men and they decided to turn against the rest and decided to burn the bodies so that their identities would forever be lost while the culprit (who is thought to be one of those burnt) lives free with his booty and new identification cards, passports etc.. Or, it could be the Brazilians who are just 4 miles away? But then again, the Forces are quite mum on the issue, not reassuring at all.
Mr arokium has stated his case clearly and provided a good account of what may have happened. As he said he is not a little boy. These govt officials should follow up and investigate his assertions .Blaming fineman for every murder in Guyana seems to be the norm. These miners were killed because they knew the identify their killers.
Since some of the Miners were shot, which could have been a case of mistaken identity the others may have confronted the killers and truly, have observed their identity and so they were slaughtered. There must have been a number of men who attacked the camp that no one escaped upon hearing the blasting sound of the guns.
Or, were they druged before they wer hammered? At least one of the killers needs to come forward make a compromise with the authorities and tell us the whole story.
We need to clear the scenes from Guyana’s Landscape very quickly. WHERE IS THE GOVERNMENT? WHERE IS THE GOVERNMENT? Guyanese should demand a change government. It may not change the situation immediately but it will demand results from our Political Directorate.
ONE THING THAT WE ALL SHOULD KEEP IN MIND IS THAT THE ARMED FORCES CLAIM THAT THAT’S NOT THE WAY THEY CONDUCT BUSINESS “KILLING PEOPLE WITH HAMMERS AND BURNING THEIR BODIES”,
STICK A PIN FOR A MINUTE, THEY WOULD BE BETTER OFF SAYING THAT “THE REAL LAWMEN WITH INTEGRITY WON’T COMMIT SUCH UNSPEAKABLE ACTS , WE’VE SEEN UP TO RECENTLY CASES OF MEMBERS OF BOTH THE POLICE AND SOLDIERS THAT HAVE INDULGE IN ILLEGAL ACTIVITIES SO PLEASE DON’T LET THE TOP BRASS OF ANY OF THESE SERVICES TRY TO SPEAK FOR ALL THEIR TROOPS, THEY SIMPLY CAN’T DO THAT BECAUSE THE MAJORITY OF US GUYANESE WON’T BUY SUCH B.S. THEY HAVE TO COME BETTER THAN THAT, ” SEH BOUT DEM HAVE DE PLACE SURROUNDED AND IS JUST A MATTER OF TIME TILL DEH CATCH FINEMAN AND HE GANG, BUT YET DEH DID’NT SEE A BIG FIRE AND TRUST ME IT HAD TO BE BIG GIVEN IT WAS MEANT TO CREMATE THE MINERS BODIES AND WAS FUELED BY MATRESSES PILLOWS SHEETS , DID SOMEONE SAY EVEN CHAIN SAW? WOW THEN HOW IN GODS EARTH GUYANA’S FINEST (ELITE) DID’NT NOTICED OR EVEN HEARD ANYTHING, VERY VERY VIGILANT HUH!
WELL DEH BETTER NOT DO ANYTHING TO MR AROKIUM BECAUSE HE SHED SOME VERY INTERESTING LIGHT ON THE WHOLE SUITUATION WHICH SURELY DID’NT BENEFIT THOSE GREEDY OPPORTUNISTS WHO ABUSED THEIR AUTHORITY ONCE MORE, WOE BE ONTO YOU AND YOUR PEERS.
LOOK HOW MANY FAMILY YOU’VE PLUNGED INTO SADNESS,EVEN ME WHO DON’T KNOW ANY OF THESE MEN BUT I PASS THAT AREA ONCE WHEN MY FATHER TOOK ME UP THE RIVER ON THE TUG BOAT THAT HE WAS THE CHEF ON TO SEE WHAT HIS JOB ENTAILS, SO I HAVE A VERY GOOD IDEA HOW THE PLACE IS GEOGRAPHICLY. SAD INDEED VERY VERY SAD!