Commissioner of Police (ag) Henry Greene yesterday said that two preliminary reports from the three Trinidadian forensic investigators who visited Guyana earlier this month to assist in the Lindo Creek massacre probe, support their “theory and support their position in terms of what happened”.
The police have said that ballistics tests on the spent shells discovered at the scene found that they match one of the weapons that was recovered by the security forces from Cecil Ramcharran called ‘Uncle Willie’ and Robin Chung called ‘Chung Boy’ who were slain at Goat Farm during a confrontation with lawmen. The two men have been linked to the Rondell `Fineman’ Rawlins gang.
Police had said they encountered `Fineman’ and his gang during a confrontation at Christmas Falls on June 6. They said that one of the gunmen was killed while six others managed to escape. The eight miners were believed to have been murdered sometime after this date.
Owner of the camp where the eight miners died, Lenoard Arokium, believes that members of the joint services were responsible for the deaths of the men and has said so publicly on many occasions following the June 21 discovery of bones and skulls at Camp Lindo. The Joint Services have since strongly denied this.
Greene said that the Trinidadians have suggested that they “do some additional things” after which a final and full report is expected.
And the Jamaicans, who are here to conduct DNA tests on the burnt remains of the slain, travelled to the location yesterday. The men arrived in the country on Friday night and Greene said on Saturday they looked at the reports of the local lawmen and were given copies of same.
The Ministry of Home Affairs had announced that after the US Government had indicated that it was unable to help Guyana in the investigation that help had been sought from CARICOM countries and that Trinidad, Jamaica and Barbados had all responded positively.
Meanwhile Greene, who was speaking to reporters following the wreath-laying ceremony for fallen policemen, hinted that the suspect the police had announced they had in custody in relation to the Lindo Creek massacres may be used as a witness.
The acting commissioner when asked about the possible “infringing” of the rights of the person since the prescribed 72 hours had elapsed without a charge said that the person is “in custodial arrangements.” He pointed out that there are several issues they have to look at in relation to the Lindo Creek massacre and other criminal acts while pointing out that some persons are “support structures” to the criminal enterprise and some of them are charged while others are not.
“There are a number of things that are happening and we are working with the DPP (the Director of Public Prosecutions),” Greene said.
And the acting commissioner confirmed that the suspect and the witness he had spoken about earlier are one and the same.
Greene was quoted in the Kaieteur News recently as saying that the force has a witness who provided details to substantiate that the killings were carried out by Guyana’s most wanted, ‘Fineman’ Rawlins’ gang. This announcement was greeted with scepticism.
Those who were killed at the site were Dax Arokium, Cedric Arokium, Compton Speirs, Horace Drakes, Clifton Wong, Lancelot Lee, Bonny Harry and Nigel Torres.
