Barrels had been used as ‘storage’
Police have so far found no evidence that three women questioned recently had possession of the arms and ammunition found at their Regent Street home and as such no charge has been laid.
Crime Chief Seelall Persaud yesterday told Stabroek News that in cases like this, the police first have to prove possession, which means proving control and knowledge to determine whether charges should be laid.
He said too that so far police have been unable to locate Frankie Ross, one of three persons they had issued wanted bulletins for in connection with the bust.
The other two, businessman Clayton Hutson and Trinidadian Joseph Aboud have already been interviewed by investigators on allegations of the illegal im-portation of arms and ammunition and were released.
The police from all appearances have not been able to prove that the women had knowledge that the weapons were on their premises as they remain on station bail.
Persaud had told Stabroek News on several occasions when asked why no charge had yet been laid, that the police have not reached that stage of the investigation.
Speaking to this newspaper recently a legal source said that several factors may have played a role in the women being released, one of which is that probable cause was not found and another could be that they cooperated fully with investigators, who in the end may have been convinced that they had no knowledge of the items.
According to the source, not because guns and other illegal materials are found at one’s house it means that the occupants must be charged.
The source said that in the end the investigators must be convinced that there is a strong reason to believe that the women were involved.
Police had said in a release that members of the joint services searched the Lot 120 Regent Street address and discovered an AK-47 rifle with the number filed off; a pistol with a silencer; a Mossberg shotgun; 713 rounds of ammunition of various calibre; 7 magazines for different firearms; a green camouflage water bottle and a green canvas pouch. The police had said that the items were in a barrel.
Ballistic tests conducted on the weapons showed that they were not used in the commission of any crimes here and as such there are suspicions that the weapons were recently smuggled into the country and were being temporarily stored at the house.
Investigators are still trying to determine how and when the items arrived in the country and for what purpose.
Frankie Ross
It has been three weeks since the items were found and there is still no sign of Ross. His mother, sister and aunt were arrested following the discovery but were released from custody on station bail three days later.
They however still have to report to the police on a regular basis.
Yesterday, a source close to the family told this newspaper about Ross and the distress the whole incident is causing the man’s relatives.
About a month ago, the source told this newspaper, Ross and his mother had a “falling out”.
Recalling the night of the arms find, the source said that the three women were all at the home of a relative who had just returned to Guyana and they first became aware of the situation when they returned home.
As they were walking in, a neighbour stopped one of the women and told her that the police were just there and they removed a barrel that was under the house.
This newspaper understands that the barrel, which was sent to the home by Ross’s father and had the names of his mother and sister printed on it, was under the house for at least three years.
According to the source, the barrel contained story books, ornaments and a big bag of tools and Ross’ mother had gone into it the week before the alleged discovery.
Stabroek News was told that because of the size of the apartment, items including blinds would be stored in four barrels which were at the side of the apartment.
The source said it was surprising to learn that the items were in the barrel, because the occupants of the lower flat will often go through them for things that they needed.
Added to that, when the police were going through a list of items that was in the barrel the bag of tools was missing and this was strange because that weekend, a saw which was in the lot had been used by Ross’ mother.
“How could the police come and search a house when nobody wasn’t at home. When they found them things all they had to do was get a number from the neighbours and we would have come down. And all they had to do was say look we find these things here and show it to us”, the source pointed out adding that the women would have then felt satisfied that the items were found in the barrel.
Stabroek News was told that on the night of the discovery Ross contacted his mother and repeatedly asked if she was alright but she insisted that he tell her where he was. Instead he replied that he was alright and then said that he had heard that the police were at the house. Since then, relatives have been unable to contact him.
Not associated with
Aboud or Hutson
The source insisted that the family was unaware of any connection between Ross and the two other men and it was a great shock when the three photographs appeared together in the newspapers. This newspaper was told that neither man ever visited the home nor were they known to the women.
One of the women however had seen Aboud and Hutson at her former workplace but had never spoken to them. The source said that entire situation is a stressful one especially for the three women, who have been deeply embarrassed by media reports that have linked them to the find.
According to the source they had lived at the Lot 120 Regent Street address for years and were never involved in anything like this.
Ross’s father Stabroek News was told has been ill since the story broke and when he saw a news item about a decomposing body being found he immediately became worried.
The source said too that the media reports have also being stressful for the women as some of the information is not true.
