(‘Everything is compromised nothing they could say now to me and others that is truthful, but they (police) have to say what they have to say and I am saying what I know’ )
By Nigel Williams
Diamond miner, Leonard Arokium yesterday said he was standing by his position that the security forces were behind the murder of his camp workers and he dismissed comments made by the acting police chief, Henry Greene on Thursday that all leads are pointing to Rondell Rawlins’ gang.
“Everything is compromised nothing they could say now to me and others that is truthful, but they (police) have to say what they have to say and I am saying what I know,” Arokium, owner of the Lindo Creek, Berbice River mining camp declared.
Up to press time last night the security forces had not caught up with Rawlins and other criminals believed to be still trapped in the jungle. In a statement on Thursday the joint services said that acting on information received, during Wednesday ranks recovered an AK-47 rifle along with ammunition and articles which were dug up at a location at Ituni. The statement said 324, 7.62 x 39 rounds, four magazines for the rifle, five 20-gauge cartridges, two 9mm rounds, one 40mm round, one camouflage pouch and one green canvas tarpaulin were also recovered. The Joint Services had maintained since June 6 – following the police attack on the Rawlins camp at Christmas Falls – that the gunmen were trapped in the jungle. They have since not explained how the men were still able to move 90 miles to the Aroaima trail one week later where they hijacked a busload of passengers.
Two of the gunmen, Julius Chung and Cecil Ramcharran were shot dead the same day at Goat Farm. President Bharrat Jagdeo on Wednesday announced that his administration has since requested forensic pathology assistance from the US to help determine when and under what circumstances the miners were killed.
Greene speaking at a press conference on Thursday said Arokium was not forthcoming with information and he had made several stops after discovering the dead men last Saturday before reporting it to the police.
Asked about this yesterday, Arokium told Stabroek News that he chose to tell his story first to the media before making himself available to the police. “That’s all I did. I didn’t make several stops I contacted the media, gave them my story and then I made myself available to the police, Arokium said. Besides, he said that when he first received word that his workers were killed two weeks ago he had become suspicious that it might have been a ploy to lure him into the area and then kill him. “I was afraid, but when I went in and saw the bodies I turned back and that was it,” Arokium said. He said he was not upset with what the police were now saying, noting that it is in their interest to deny the allegations. “I am standing by what I have said and which I supported with details,” Arokium asserted.
Credible
Meanwhile, the main opposition, People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) yesterday repeated its call, for an independent investigation into the circumstances leading to the deaths of the eight miners. The party in a statement said that the controversial circumstances and reports surrounding the deaths of the men make it incumbent for a credible and independent Commission of Inquiry (CI) to be appointed to determine who was responsible for this tragedy. The Alliance For Change has also made a similar call and President Jagdeo said while he had not decided on whether to hold one, if he were to agree to a CI it would have to take in the other massacres to determine whether there was any political connection.
Trotman subsequently said that the police had already determined who carried out the two massacres at Lusignan and Bartica and as such doing a CI for those would undermine the lawmen’s work. The PNCR said it has taken careful note of the fact that there are at least two versions of the events surrounding the deaths of the miners. It noted that Arokium is confident that his employees were killed by the security forces and he has spelt out the reasons for this belief in several interviews with the media, while on the other hand the Joint Services, and more recently the Commissioner of Police have issued vigorous rebuttals to Arokium’s claim. “The Joint Services are contending that the miners were killed by the gunmen who were fleeing them after they were surrounded at Christmas Falls. More puzzling is the recent statement by the Commissioner that they are trying to locate two members of the Joint Services who were stationed in the area at the time,” the party stated.
According to the PNCR, its Leader Robert Corbin met with Arokium and other relatives of the deceased on Monday and from their discussions the party is more convinced of the need for such an enquiry after that meeting.” The Party therefore strongly urges the Jagdeo administration to stop the prevarication and urgently appoint a credible Commission of Inquiry. Such an Inquiry will be important for the credibility and public confidence in our security forces, now facing credible allegations of torture, and bring closure to the concerns and distress of the many families affected by this tragedy.” In addition, the party extended sincere condolences to the families of the eight miners: Dax Arokium, Cedric Arokium, Compton Speirs, Horace Drakes, Clifton Wong, Lancelot Lee, Bonny Harry and Nigel Torres.
The Party said it regretted the loss of life and, in particular, the undignified manner in which they were killed and their bodies disposed of. According to the PNCR the miners were the financial supporters of their families and their deaths are bound to place additional burdens on these families, at a time when the economic situation in Guyana is having a devastating social impact on most of our citizens.
Greene on Thursday had told the media that the miners were warned to leave the area following the June 6 attack at Christmas Falls. Yesterday Arokium said he was not aware of any warning being issued to the miners, noting that he found this strange since his workers were mingling with soldiers stationed at the UNAMCO gate. Investigators are yet to interview the soldiers who Arokium said had shared food with his miners at one time. Greene said whether the men heard the announcement but refused to leave or did not hear the warning at all was still an issue to be cleared up. He said what was clear was that Arokium knew about the joint services activities in the area as he had enquired from a policewoman at Kwakwani when it was safe for him to travel to the area.
