DPP advises no charges for suspects

Jun 10, 2010 News

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By Latoya Giles

Hours after the Director of Public Prosecutions Shalimar Ali Hack recommended that no charges be instituted against three persons detained in the suspected murder of Linden taxi driver Damion Lindore, the “key eyewitness” in the matter is now alleging that he was forced into signing a third statement.
The eyewitness, Colin Marvin, had told Police that Lindore did not die in an accident, but was beaten and robbed by several persons, including a police officer, and that these persons later staged the accident.
However, yesterday he claimed that he was forced to sign a third statement saying that Lindore was not murdered but that he indeed died as a result of an accident. It was after this third statement the DPP recommended that no charges be instituted against the men. She however ordered that an inquest be conducted in the matter.
Kaieteur News understands that Kemal McCalmont, along with the police officer and another Linden resident were released yesterday.
The 20-year-old who is familiarly known as “Bolo” said he was forced by the ranks at the Mackenzie Police station to change his story.
The young man yesterday told Kaieteur News that on Friday afternoon five ranks along with the suspects who he had implicated in the matter all threatened him to change his story.
He said that it all began when the officers removed him from the Wismar Police Station and transferred him to the Mackenzie Police station where the other suspects were being detained.
According to the young man, he was placed in the lock-ups where the McCalmont’s brothers and another suspect were.
“As soon as I reach in the station the officers and Kemal them started asking is how much….Dimi family paying me.”
He said he disregarded their taunts and told them that he was not paid….but was telling the truth.
‘Bolo’ said that he was later taken upstairs of the police station where one officer demanded that he give them a third statement.
“They forced me…..to talk they said they would put a black bag over my head and shock me,” Marvin said.
The young man said that he continuously told the officers that he was indeed telling them the truth.
He further alleges that the officers shouted that he wanted the suspects to punish in jail and that’s why he was concocting the entire story.
“De officers tell me I want these people go to jail…..and how I does lie and I got to give another statement clearing them,” Marvin said.
He said that started to go through his second statement in which he alleged that Kemal, the policeman and several others beat and robbed Lindore.
The man said that after he began talking the officers started asking the same questions twice and tried to change up the questions in an effort to confuse him.
“They asking me three and four questions about the same thing, trying to get me to say something different”.
He further alleges that it was a “Tall” officer who wrote the third statement without even asking him what happened.
“I ain’t tell he nothing. Is the tall officer that write the third statement and send it to the DPP.”
The young man said that after the “tall officer” wrote the statement he ordered him to sign it.
He said he refused to sign the statement and the officer called in four other lawmen and the suspects into the room.
“This officer then called the other policemen and Kemal them…..and all of them started threatening me how they going to kill me. So that is how I sign the statement”.
The man said the officer collected the statement and placed it into a file and he was transferred to the Brickdam Police Sstation.
The young man was also very adamant that the police officer was present when the group allegedly bludgeoned Lindore.
This newspaper understands that Kemal McCalmont had denied that the officer was ever in Linden the day the “accident” happened.
However this newspaper has evidence that officer was indeed in Linden when the accident happened.
Meanwhile angry relatives of Damion Lindore expressed total disbelief yesterday after learning that no charges would be instituted against the men in custody. One relative opined from the initial stages of the investigation the police refused to follow up simple things.
The relative further said that she believes the only reason the police took this matter “to heart” was because another rank was involved.
The relative also expressed dissatisfaction with the findings of the post mortem report. Kaieteur News understands that the report simply had that Lindore died from “multiple injuries”.
“How could the pathologist not give any explanation in the post mortem report…If you say multiple injuries you have to specify which one of the injuries killed him” opined the relative.
Another relative said that the family has been able to secure a foreign pathologist who is expected to arrive in the country soon.
‘We want and need a second opinion in order to get justice,” said the relative.
Initial reports were that Lindore, called ‘Pinta’ or Dimi’, and 25-year-old Kemal McCalmont, both of Wisroc, Linden, were on their way to a resort on the highway when the driver swerved to avoid hitting a dog.
Lindore was reported to have subsequently lost control of the vehicle, which toppled several times. He was reportedly flung through the front windscreen of his car, HB 8153, which relatives said he had only bought a few months ago.
Lindore’s reputed wife had told Kaieteur News that he had about $700,000 in his possession. The money along with the dead man’s jewellery was missing when he was found. His vehicle was also stripped of its valuables.
However last Wednesday the police rearrested alleged accident victim Kemal McCalmont, his brother, and the police officer. A bus driver was also arrested after allegations surfaced that he had owed Lindore a substantial amount of money.
Lindore’s family had raised concerns about the accident after they visited the wrecked vehicle on the Linden Highway.

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