Lindo Creek investigations…War of words escalates

Sep 24, 2008 News

---

The war of words over the investigation into the murders of eight miners at Lindo Creek, Berbice River, continued with attorneys for dredge owner Leonard Arokium describing police accusations that he is seeking public sympathy as unforgivable.
In a letter to Acting Police Commissioner Henry Greene, attorneys from the law firm of Hughes, Fields and Stoby, who are representing the dredge owner, said that the police have compounded the issue by issuing statements to the press that their client is seeking publicity.
The police accusations came in the wake of the disclosure that a cellular phone that was in the possession of one of the dead miners was previously in use.
The police had claimed that Arokium refused to provide them with the number of the cellular phone, which would enable them to carry out further investigations.
According to a statement from the police, the force had expressed concern that Arokium has not laid bare all the information that he has in relation to the investigation.
“His actions seem designed to attract and maintain public sympathy,” the police said in its statement.
Yesterday, Crime Chief Seelall Persaud told this newspaper that repeated efforts to speak with the dredge owner recently were met with, “speak to my lawyer”.
But the law firm responded by pointing out that it is not the preferred choice of Arokium to retain the professional services of attorneys to interact with the Guyana Police Force.
But given the credibility of the law enforcement agency coupled with the challenges it has faced protecting the lives of some citizens, Arokium’s chosen course of communication is understandable, the law firm stated.
“It is precisely this lack of confidence in the forensic and investigative capacity of the Guyana Police Force which led to his release of the information of the murder of the Lindo Creek Eight to the press before going to the Guyana Police Force,” the law firm said in its letter to the Acting Commissioner.
According to the law firm, although it had secured, retained and recommended one of the premier forensic investigation services in the world, it was through the press that their client learnt that the force had expressed preference for the forensic services available in Trinidad and Jamaica.
To date Arokium has not been informed of the results of the DNA identification procedure which was conducted by the Jamaican experts.
The law firm noted that its client was previously confident that despite the forensic challenges, the force would not only check and verify information and statements that were provided, but in the normal course of things, conduct follow up investigations.
It was noted that Arokium had provided the number of the cellular phone in a statement on Saturday June 21 when investigators accompanied Prime Minister Samuel Hinds; Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee and Acting Commissioner Henry Greene to Arokium’s home.
“Our client provided the police officer, who took a detailed statement from him, with the number that was registered in our client’s name and in the possession of his son, Dax, at the time of his demise,” the law firm wrote.
The lawyers stated that instead, the force has found it appropriate to accuse Arokium of withholding information for the purpose of soliciting and maintaining public sympathy.
“Contrary to whatever conclusions you might have drawn about our client, he is neither seeking public office nor soliciting funds for any public campaign. He merely seeks a professional and comprehensive investigation into the murder of his son, brother and employees,” the law firm stated.
“The fact that the victims of this horrific crime are still in a state of suspended grief as they have been unable to perform the modest task of burying their dead might in the course of your hectic schedule have escaped you, but to compound their misery with accusations of their seeking publicity and sympathy is unforgivable,” the lawyers added.
Contacted for a comment Crime Chief Seelall Persaud told this newspaper that there was no mention of the telephone number in question in the statement given by Arokium.
The Crime Chief said that the only telephone numbers mentioned in the statement were those of the person at Kwakwani who had contacted the dredge owner after the miners were killed.
While the police say they have irrefutable evidence, including ballistics and the statement of an alleged eyewitness to the crime, Arokium is maintaining that the killing of his workers points to a Joint Services operation.
At the time of the miners’ deaths, the Joint Services were pursuing Rondell ‘Fine Man’ Rawlins and his gang who were hiding out in the Christmas Falls area some 15 miles away.
Rawlins and an accomplice, Jermaine ‘Skinny’ Charles, were eventually cornered and killed at Kuru Kururu on the Soesdyke/Linden Highway earlier this month.

---

---