Gov’t has a duty to answer questions about Crum-Ewing’s death – former Head of Barbados Bar

Mar 31, 2015 News

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By Sunita Samaroo
Former Head of the Barbados Bar Association, Queen’s Counsel (QC) Andrew Pilgrim has described as dangerous, the recent killing of political activist, Courtney Crum-Ewing.

Pilgrim, who noted that Crum-Ewing was riddled with bullets while campaigning for the upcoming Regional and General Elections, said that it is a real danger when in a democratic society, a person is killed while exercising his right by putting his views forward.
Crum-Ewing’s killing, the QC believes, leaves too many questions. He is calling on the government and other relevant authorities to fulfill their duties and ensure that those questions are answered.
Crum-Ewing was killed on March 10, last, in Diamond, East Bank Demerara shortly after he had called on local residents through a bullhorn to vote in the upcoming General Elections, scheduled on May 11, and oust the incumbent ruling party.
The autopsy showed that Crum-Ewing was shot five times; three to the head and another at point blank range behind his neck. Police had initially said a car with four men drove up and discharged the shots at him before driving off.
The police have since announced that they have questioned and released eight persons. The investigations, however, have so far been fruitless.
The situation is one the Barbadian Attorney has been following with interest. He recently added his voice to the many calls for an immediate, prompt, thorough and impartial investigation into Crum-Ewing’s killing.
Pilgrim, who represents the immediate family of the late Dr. Walter Rodney at the Commission of Inquiry, made his comments known during an exclusive interview with this newspaper.

Pilgrim, who is a known human rights advocate, said that it is very important that everything be done to ensure that Crum-Ewing’s death is thoroughly investigated. “It was actually quite saddening too, because I walk the streets of Georgetown, to see his parents there calling for that.”
“It has cast a kind of doubt over our institutions; if we don’t protect them …and part of protecting them is through investigation into any situation that can imply any impropriety where people are trying to suppress the voice of people who are speaking out, especially so near to an election,” Pilgrim said.
The lawyer said that Crum-Ewing’s death must be treated with a certain amount of dignity. “You want to give the government and the authorities every opportunity to show that they have no connection but when a person is struck down while campaigning, there is that danger that people can interpret it as just that type of activity,” the QC added.
Pilgrim believes that the onus is on the government not only to show its impartiality in the investigation but “they have a duty to show everyone that their hands are clean and they had nothing to do with it.”
He said that the populace is seeking proof and evidence of what exactly took place with Crum-Ewing.
“This man was shot in what appears to be the most disgusting and brutal fashion and there is a real need for the Guyanese people to keep some momentum behind the situation and to support the family in their calls for justice,” Pilgrim told Kaieteur News.
“Speaking as a Caribbean citizen, we in the Caribbean have a duty to look over each other’s shoulders, not to try and force anyone to do anything. A Bajan can’t tell Guyanese how to run their show and Guyanese can’t tell Jamaicans how to run their show but we are people with a similar experience.
“We all have an interest in our democratic situations being strong and our judiciary being strong and to the extent that there is always a risk that these things will be swept under the carpet,” the lawyer said.
Pilgrim views it as the duty of the international community, bar associations, and nongovernmental organisations to ensure that matters of such nature are properly dealt with in a manner that people “can feel confident that they are being treated fairly and not being taken advantage of.”
He give credit to the local bar association, too, for the recent call for a thorough investigation.
“I am happy that the bar has called for that (thorough investigation) but it is a real danger when you have a person who is expressing themselves in a democratic society and trying to put his views forward and is killed actually during that process.”
“It leads to all kinds of questions and the government has a duty; the authorities have a duty to ensure those questions are answered.”
Recently, the Guyana Bar Association and Justice Institute Guyana said that the murder of activist Courtney Crum-Ewing has undermined Guyana’s democracy contributing to a cycle of fear and President Donald Ramotar’s attempt to liken him to a criminal is ill-advised.
In a statement, the two organisations had condemned “without reservation” the gunning down of Crum-Ewing and offered their sympathy to his family.
“The right to life is the most fundamental right of all. We condemn without reservation any killing of one human being by another,” the statement said. The organisations noted that Crum-Ewing protested outside the chambers of Attorney-General Anil Nandlall for several weeks.
“He was out on the streets urging people to vote in the upcoming elections when he was shot five times. The prevalent and likely suspicion is that Mr. Crum-Ewing was murdered because of his political activism. Any such suspicion, whether founded on fact or not, contributes to a cycle of fear. That fear encourages many people to be silent and invisible, and it gravely undermines freedom and democracy,” the organisations asserted.
The statement noted that Ramotar has compared the draping of the Golden Arrowhead on Crum-Ewing’s coffin with the draping of the Golden Arrowhead on the coffin of Blackie – a notorious criminal.
“Mr. Crum Ewing’s protest and his call to voters were certainly not criminal activities. The President’s comment was ill-advised and unfortunate,” the organisations declared.
The parents of the late political activist had taken to the streets to protest the President’s statements. On Friday, last, standing in front of the AG’s Chambers his mother, Donna Harcourt, expressed disgust at the President’s statements and renewed calls for her son’s killing to be properly investigated.
Also speaking out on the issue was international human rights group, Amnesty International who called for a thorough, independent, impartial and timely probe into the assassination of the political activist to bring those responsible to justice.
The international watchdog also called on the Guyanese authorities to guarantee a favourable context and peaceful atmosphere for the exercise of freedom of expression, association and assembly and other civil and political rights.
In a document headlined “Guyana: Political activist killed ahead of elections: Courtney Crum-Ewing,” the group also urged the authorities to provide adequate protection to political activists, journalists and human rights defenders who might be at risk as a result of the exercise of their right to freedom of expression.
The human rights body has noted that the killing of a political activist during the pre-electoral period fuels fear that further violence and limitations to freedom of expression may occur.

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