Former police informant says…South Road trio was executed

Jun 08, 2015 News

---

It was just last week that National Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan made it clear that all rogue cops will be rooted out from the Guyana Police Force.  While he has made a great start towards fulfilling this mandate, there’s still much more work to be done.

For starters, he should listen to what a former police informant has to say about an alleged “killing machine” within the Guyana Police Force.
That man is Lennox Wayne, who recently told police officials about an alleged murder plot, which appeared to implicate a member of the Force.
Wayne, who is now incarcerated, awaiting trial for the murder of Lusignan Cosmetologist, Ashminee Harrryram, has once again bared his soul on several operations he participated in with a particular group of cops, describing killings that he say should lead to their prosecution.
One such operation resulted in the deaths of three young men on South Road, outside the K&VC international Hotel on October 12, 2013.
On that night, cousins Jermaine Canterbury, 21, and Mark Anthony Joseph, called ‘Two Grand’, 19 and Romario Gouveia, 19, all residents of Albouystown, were shot during what police said was a shootout near the K&VC Hotel. The cousins died soon after the shooting, while Gouveia, who had a gunshot wound to the jaw, died suddenly two days later.
Police and civilians had given conflicting versions of the shooting, with police claiming that the trio was planning a robbery and shot at them, and eyewitnesses claiming that the youths were unarmed.
Then Commissioner of Police Leroy Brumell, responding to the conflicting reports, had called for persons who claimed to have witnessed the shooting to provide the police with this information.
But while investigations into the matter were conducted by the Force’s Office of Professional Responsibility, it would seem that the ranks were cleared of any wrongdoing.
The police had stated that acting on information about a planned robbery on an occupant of the K&VC Hotel, South Road, Georgetown, police ranks staked out the building on the night in question.
At around 20:30hrs, ranks observed the occupants of a car, bearing registration number PPP 8539, drive up and stop in Alexander Street. According to the police, three men exited the vehicle and proceeded towards the K&VC Hotel.
“The police challenged the men who opened fire on them, and the ranks returned fire. During the exchange of gunfire, Jermaine Canterbury called “Chow”, 21, of Hogg Street, Albouystown and Mark Anthony Joseph called “Two Grand”, 19, also of Hogg Street, Albouystown, were fatally shot. Mario Gouveia, 19, of James Street, Albouystown, was shot and injured to his face and is a patient under guard at the GPHC,” the police had told the Guyanese public.
They said that they recovered an unlicensed .32 revolver with two live rounds and one spent shell, and an unlicensed .38 snub-nose revolver with three live rounds and three spent shells.
A photograph released to the media also showed a wig, which police said they recovered from one of the suspects.
The Force also ensured that they disclosed that all of the men had brushes with the law and provided details of their previous incarceration and subsequent release from prison.
But Lennox Wayne is painting a different picture, a picture that points to a cold blooded execution of the three ex-convicts.
In a recorded statement sent to this newspaper, Wayne claimed that he had played a major role in the entire set up.
“It deh all over de place that I carry dem men and set dem up fuh de police shoot dem,” he stated.
Wayne said that after serving 10 years in prison for robbery, he struck up a close relationship with several ranks of a police anti-crime unit, and provided them with information on criminal activities.
Wayne could not say if his relationship with the unit was known to the hierarchy of the Guyana Police Force.
Recalling the events of October 12, 2013, Wayne said that he had orchestrated the arrest of a man named Shawn who was found in possession of a shotgun in Leopold Street. He said that three ranks from the unit (names given) took the suspect to the Brickdam Police Station where he was detained.
He said that later that day, a known armed robbery suspect, with whom he shared a friendship, contacted him on his cellular phone, telling him that he was going on a robbery. The man had no idea that Wayne was an informant.
This information was relayed to one of the ranks on the anti crime unit, who told him to “play along” with the would-be robbers so that they could obtain the time and place for the robbery.
It was Wayne who advised them that they should target the K&VC Hotel, since that was where he wanted to lure them for the police to apprehend them.
He said that he relayed all the relevant information to the police squad, which immediately went into action.
“They (police) went and change vehicle and get heavy weapons, because when they come out earlier they just had the normal small arms,” Wayne said.
“They say they going fuh tek away de men dem gun. Me ain’t expect dem fuh shoot de people children,” he added.
Wayne said that while the police were getting into position, the gang of would be robbers which consisted Jermaine Canterbury, Mark Anthony Joseph and Romario Gouveia, picked him up in a car and took him to the South Road hotel.
According to Wayne, Romario Gouveia was dropped off at the nearby Camp Site restaurant, while Joseph and Canterbury came off outside the hotel and stood under a tree on the southern side of the road.
He said that he went into the hotel and after identifying himself to the staff there, he told them that he was part of a police operation to catch a gang of criminals.
Wayne stated that as he was exiting the building, Canterbury and Joseph began approaching him. It was then that the police ranks who were in their unmarked Toyota Mark II pulled up and all hell broke loose.
“After he see de bright light from de car shine, Chow (Canterbury) put up he hand, he had he cell phone in he hand and dey shoot he in he back. (Named cop) jump out and shoot de next one (Joseph), dey just start to spray,” the informant revealed.
Both men fell to the ground and the cops stood over them and pumped bullets into their heads, Wayne said.
He said that Gouveia, the other would be bandit, who was standing at the corner, saw what was taking place and began running.
Another policeman (name given) chased after him, and the youth jumped into the South Road trench.
The policeman eventually got him to come out and according to Wayne, the cop shot him in his mouth.
Gouviea did not die immediately, but was left lying motionless on the ground.
The shooting did not end there.
“When de security guard over at Japarts look across fuh see is wha going on, (named cop) turn with he weapon and discharge couple rounds at he. I jump in de Mark II now and drive around and block off Camp Street so no bus or nothing can’t come through,” Wayne explained.
A few minutes later more police vehicles with ranks arrived at the scene and the bodies of Canterbury and Joseph along with badly wounded Gouveia were thrown into one of them and taken to the Georgetown Hospital.
“Before dey left with dem bodies, (named cop) tell de ranks fuh mek sure dat dem finish dem off,” Wayne said.
“Dem saying that de men shoot at dem…de men ain’t discharge no round, dem ain’t had no gun, de men ain’t had no weapon, straight,” he stressed.
He said that the weapon (.38 revolver) that the police produced was one that one of the ranks brought in a haversack.
Wayne said that it was that incident that caused him to start rethinking his link to the police, since he was now exposed to the public as a “police informer”.
He said that relatives of the dead men started to accuse him of orchestrating their deaths.
“That is how de whole country got it. Everybody know me. Remember is some youth men that me and dem used to do thing. Remember I used to thief, dat is why dem men had trust in me. Is then everybody now know dat I working with de police force,” the former convict stated.
It was the same unit that would be involved in the shooting of Alberto Grant and Paul Bascom at Diamond a few months later.
Wayne said that the time had come for him to see that justice is done, since he believes that the new administration wants to have a clean Guyana Police Force. Except for one of the ranks all the others who were part of the south road and diamond operations are still serving members of the Force.
He said that he is fully aware of the likely consequences of his exposure and is prepared to live by them.
All he wants is for the administration to reopen the investigations with a view to ridding Guyana Police Force of not just torturers but also killers.

---

---