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.
My condolences to the family. And may their souls R.I.P cause we know God never left their side,He was with them and He comforted them. Those who did this will pay,just pray my people,pray and have faith that things will get better and for justice to be served.
The people of Guyana have suffered enough,both at the hands of the Government and at the hands of criminals. The citizens of Guyana deserve better,can you imagine a country as rich and beautiful as Guyana is now one of the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere.
Where is the freedom for the people?
Where is the safety of our Guyanese people?
Ah en read nancy stories like dese posts since ah was a chile. Allya posts wud be funny if dis ting en so serious. Dem sey talk is cheap.
E.g. It was reported by SN (unofficially) that the supposed bullets found at the Lindo creek murder scene were not linked to other (alleged) crime scenes related to “Fineman”. So, some of the dear readers drew the conclusion that it couldn’t be “Fineman”. Now, if these readers think real hard they might conclude that his inventory of weapons has not been published. So, what does he have or does not? Can anyone advise his inventory of weapons?
Can anyone advise (with authority) what the topography and flora is like at Lindo creek?
I also believe that because of the relationship the miners (one or more) had with Fineman, the miners also had to know the female caller (at least her and she knew the male caller and asked him to call for her to back up her call to Arokium). I believe that after Fineman slaughtered the miners for cochoring on him and stealing his loot and arms, the shell casings were planted at the camp by either Fineman (after being supplied with them by the female caller, the male caller or an accomplice) or by the female caller, the male caller or an accomplice of them all with the idea of diverting attention away from Fineman towards the security forces.
Don’t ask where these people can get spent shells from, they are all over the jungle. The soldiers don’t go back in the field after an exercise to re-collect spent shells or any other form of their kit that got lost during an exercise (like war games), so yes, not only shell casings can be found in the jungle, fully loaded magazines, messpans, bayonets, anything can get lost by the soldiers during an exercise and never retrieved, so I believe the spent shells were saved and planted at the miners’ camp.
I’m not surprised at all if the news reveal (or the joint services say) that the shells belong to the security forces. That to me won’t make the security forces guilty of committing the slaughter because of what I said above. It will be totally understandable, The female caller holds the key to this issue, I warn you guys, some very interesting things are about this woman – and to come.
I DECIDED TO POST MY RESPONSE HERE INSTEAD OF UNDER MY COMMENT WHERE YOU RESPONDED AS FOLLOWS:
Mackydog now you know that the ballistic tests are not linked to ‘fineman,’ you are scrambling for cover now. This is how you say the men were murdered, “The miners were being tortured since there is no evidence that the men died from gunshot wounds only by being sledged hammered in the head and by chainsaw.”
There is no evidence that a chainsaw was used on the men as follows:
“The source said everything that belonged to the men seemed to have been burned with them. “I don’t know if they used gasoline or what, but when I tell you that even chainsaw them man burn up you will understand that they were trying to burn everything…,” the source said.”
I think you should read carefully and stop making foolish assumptions that the men and ‘fineman’ had some sort of relationship. According to the owner his men were harden workers that would not stand silent to be robbed also, they had a shotgun or whatever rifle they had in their possession.
And if they had a relationship with ‘fineman’ as you said, the men would had planned for any retaliation from him knowing that he is a serious madman as you described him to be.
The Joint services are the only security forces around the two camps in the area. In addition, with the entire cordon off points, they are talking about and surveillance you mean to tell me that they did not know of the camp. The owner said his son and his men shared meat with the security forces before.
Why the Joint Services did not see the fire in the area that was burning the bodies of the men why did not the Joint services see the fire is they blind bats? Come on Mackydog you are not reasoning with children. Did you have a drink before you came here to respond to the comments on this site?
I observed you were commenting all over like crazy.
Macky i’m with you here because i believe the man and the woman are archaeologist.
Propaganda press
That woman is Madonna. She is holding the key to solving the crime.
Let’s focus on the Brazilian camp, located only five miles away from where this terrible tragedy occured. Why was the smoke not seen by them? Is the jungle area where these camps are located so dense that an unusually large amount of smoke would not be cause for alert or investigation?
I think the Guyana government is afraid of causing controversy between the two countries by focusing on the Brazilian camp.
Was this camp investigated at all? Questions asked, searches carried out?
Like mackydog said, why is it not possible that another gang is out there or maybe fineman’s gang is split into two since the raid on the first camp.
I am still waiting for the truth to come. Someone killed two members of my family and I want to have some answers to that. Also, i am sure that the other miners families want answers. The people need to stop blaming fineman for every thing. For a person to killed 8 people that has got to be an animal. Because if you kill a person how can you live with yourself; much less sleep at night. You should be getting nightmare by the men you killed. I feel that someone know someone, but is afraid to come forward. This is what is wrong with people you see something and you keep your mouth shut before you open your mouth and say something. This is why the world is what is today. But don’t worry. I have one thing to say God don’t like UGLY.
in repsonse to Alli, i am dax’s eldest sister
I quote from your article;
“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.” -
How does this lead to a press article entitled “…Ballistic sources show no link to Fineman gang”?
What does Stabroek New intend to achieve with this article?