Walter Rodney COI…Former House of Israel member admits to being a “thug”

Jun 05, 2014 News

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By Latoya Giles
Member of Parliament for the People’s Progressive Party, Joseph Hamilton, yesterday said that parts of his evidence which he has given could be considered as “hearsay”. Hamilton’s admission came during questioning by PNC legal representative Attorney at Law Basil Williams. This was Hamilton’s third day on the stand at the Walter Rodney Commission of Inquiry.
Hamilton has told the Commission that between the years 1978 and 1979 he was part of the House of Israel religious sect as a “priest”. He also told the commission that he had gone through some amount of training to become that “priest” in the latter part of 1978 and early 1979.
Williams, in his cross examination suggested that Hamilton had a “low level” position within the House of Israel and could not have been in meetings between the House of Israel and former Opposition Leader Robert Corbin, Mayor Hamilton Green or several key figures in the PNC party.
Hamilton during his testimony to the Commission said that he had received guns and ammunition from Corbin and others as a means of protection from the Working People’s Alliance.
“I’m suggesting to you….that you were too low, that you had no weight to be a part of these meetings Mr. Hamilton if they ever happened at all…” Williams told Hamilton.
Hamilton was further asked about whether he was at the meeting when the PNC allegedly asked for support from the House Israel. The witness said that he could not recall.
Williams then suggested to Hamilton that he was speculating when he told the Commission that he was present when that particular meeting happened.  Hamilton however maintained that he had based that part of his evidence on the activities that were happening at the time.
Williams further suggested that Hamilton went from a priest to a demon based on the testimony he gave.
Hamilton has claimed that during 1978, while he was a student priest in the House of Israel, he was forced moments after reading the Bible to beat and terrorize opponents of the then PNC Government.
“You could be praying at 2’o clock and then by 3’o clock you could have picked up a piece of wood and go and start beating people…Which part of the bible teaches that Mr. Hamilton?” Williams asked.
Hamilton admitted that that was what happened.  Williams suggested that Hamilton went from “being a priest to a demon,” a contention that Hamilton rejected. He claimed that at the time his actions were seen as doing a good.
Williams suggested, too, that Hamilton lied about classified information he provided with respect to relationships between the PNC and the House of Israel, because at the time in question he would have only been a student priest, a position that would have prohibited him from gaining access to alleged meetings between the PNC and the House of Israel leadership where guns were handed over.
He claimed that the evidence given by the witness against the PNC was fabricated, adding that his presence at those meetings were fabricated too.
Williams suggested to Hamilton that when he named Army Officer Wickcliffe McAllister as a person who taught members of the House of Israel to “build bombs” he was lying.
“I’m putting it to you sir that you are lying because Officer McAllister’s specialty was not bomb making, but arms training,” Williams said. Hamilton denied this suggestion.
Hamilton was also grilled about his motives behind calling the names of several prominent persons in Guyana. Hamilton in his evidence in chief had mentioned the names of Justices Stanley Moore and Kenneth Barnwell, along with several others as persons who visited the House of Israel and asked for “favours”.
According to Hamilton, his mentioning the names was just a statement of fact. He was then asked whether he was being contentious.  Hamilton said that he mentioned the names because he felt that he needed to capture the environment.
However Williams suggested that Justice Moore was the lawyer who represented the head of the House of Israel, Rabbi Edward Washington, and that Hamilton was trying to denigrate him. Williams said that the relationship between Washington and Moore was merely “client/lawyer”.
Williams continued to ask the witness whether he would condemn a lawyer who represents a certain type of client.
“I don’t know why you are calling Moore’s name.  What would you say about Commission Lawyer Glen Hanoman who has represented drug kingpin Roger Khan,” Williams asked. Williams argued that the evidence was particularly relevant to the Commission.
Williams continued that he “Hamilton” did not have any right to mention these names since he was “thug”.
“You were a thug…that’s what I’m putting to you,” Williams said. Hamilton accepted that he indeed was a “thug”.
After being grilled by lawyers, Hamilton was quizzed by Commissioner Jairam about whether he felt sorry for his actions when he was member of the House of Israel. Hamilton said that his actions harmed a lot of people, and for that he was truly sorry.

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