No evidence to charge -DPP

Three months after a cache of high-powered weapons and ammunition were found in a Regent Street house, the Chambers of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has told the police that there is no evidence to charge any of the three women initially arrested.

The file was sent to the office of the DPP for advice and after several weeks it was returned last month with the verdict of no evidence to charge.

Acting Police Commis-sioner Henry Greene made this disclosure to Stabroek News on Friday when quizzed following the commencement of the closing ceremony for the ranks who had participated in a nine-week Junior Officers’ Course.

According to Greene, though the DPP has said no charges, their investigation into the discovery has in no way ended but would rather continue until the mystery has been solved.

He said that they are still looking for Frankie Ross – a relative of the women who are all occupants of the Regent Street house.

Reports reaching Stabroek News are that investigators were certain that he was the missing link in the case.

Greene told this newspaper that while they are still interested in speaking to Ross, they (the police) are clueless as to where he might be.

Commenting on the seized items which included three high-powered guns and hundreds of rounds of ammunition of different types, Greene said that they cannot be utilized by the Force as they are still exhibits pending the arrest of Ross.

On September 24, members of the joint services swooped on a house located at Lot 120 Regent Street Bourda.

During a search of the property which was conducted while none of the occupants was home, the ranks found a barrel in the yard with 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.

Subsequent 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 newly smuggled into the country and were being temporarily stored at the house.

Investigators are yet to determine how and when the items arrived in the country and for what purpose.

The day after the discovery, the police held three women for questioning but after three days in police custody they were released on station bail and were required to report to the police regularly.

Police then issued wanted bulletins for Ross who once lived at the location and two others. The two turned up at CID headquarters, Eve Leary on separate occasions accompanied by their lawyer and were subsequently released after being interviewed by investigators on allegations of the illegal importation of arms and ammunition.

Ross never turned up. A source close to the family had told Stabroek News that Ross lived at the Regent Street house but moved out about a month before the discovery due to a falling out.

The barrel in question had the names of two of the women – who are Ross’s mother and sister, printed on it but according to the source it was there for at least three years and was used to store books, ornaments and a big bag of tools.

Ross’s mother had gone into it the week before the alleged discovery.

The barrel was stored just outside the bottom of the apartment, which is very small and the occupants would go into it often to take out essential items.

The source had told this newspaper that the barrel was last entered by Ross’s mother, the weekend before the discovery.

The police were criticized for conducting the search without the presence of at least one occupant and the source pointed out that the women would have felt satisfied had they been there when the discovery was made.

On the night of the discovery Ross had 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.