We need to ask Sean Hinds some more questions – Harmon

Jul 23, 2015 News

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– rules out amnesty in exchange for info   

“We are more interested in what is happening now and I believe that Mr. Hinds can provide us with some linkages, some further information that could show us why these crimes that took place recently did take place and who are the persons who actually gave the directions.”

Minister of State Joseph Harmon, says that self confessed death squad member, Sean Hinds, should turn himself in to the police and provide details of what he knows about the crime situation in the country.
Speaking to the media during a post-Cabinet press conference, Harmon said that the state apparatus would definitely be interested in following up more aggressively, the leads provided by Hinds during an explosive recorded television interview.
Hinds, who police say is wanted for questioning into some “serious crimes”, recently confessed that he was a member of a death squad headed by the late Axel Williams.
The squad received instructions and weapons from officials at the CID, during the 2002-2006 crime wave.
Harmon said that the state law enforcement agency would certainly like to ask Hinds some additional questions.
Hinds has claimed that he was wrongfully being fingered in the execution-style killing of activist Courtney Crum-Ewing and used the interview in an attempt to clear his name.
Senior police officials have said that Hinds was wanted for questioning since last week but it is not in connection with the Crum-Ewing killing.
In the interview, Sean Hinds detailed his connection to the established law enforcement agency back in the mid 2000s when the bullet-riddled bodies of criminal suspects began turning up in various locations in the city and its environs.
“I was in a death squad. De boss was a man named Axel Williams, who I work under.  If I wasn’t a part of this killing squad, this country wouldn’t have gat law and order…because there was Shawn Brown and Dale Moore…and Chip Teeth and all these guys,” Hinds said, referring to some of the notorious criminals who created a reign of terror between 2002 and 2006.
He revealed, however, that the death squad was not operating in isolation, explaining that some members of the regular police force were also a part of their operations.
“We used to get guns from the police. I used to go and uplift a gun from CID headquarters— a machine gun. So this thing was not no one-sided affair… like if I was operating pon me own, or me and Axel Williams operating pon we own,” Hinds declared.
“We were guided and been in communication with senior people from CID headquarters,” he added.
Yesterday, Minister Harmon said that the explosive allegations made by Hinds are serious enough to warrant an independent investigation.
“It is common knowledge that he was the security guard for the former Town Clerk (Carol Sooba) and that he was in the security detail of a former presidential candidate…as to whether those persons to whom he had provided his services were aware of that background he disclosed to the reporter,” Harmon said.
Responding to a question of an independent investigation into the revelations made by Hinds with specific reference on whether the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Guyana Police Force will be conducting the probe, Harmon said, “You don’t try the devil in hell.”
Minister Harmon however cautioned that, with the passage of time, the new operatives at the CID might not be tainted with the history that is being referred to.
“But what I can say is that the allegations being made are serious enough for us to launch an independent investigation…independent of the entities that have been named in his statements,” Harmon told the media.
He described Hinds’ revelations as “very interesting” because of the implications of what he reported.
Harmon reminded that two weeks ago, while addressing the current spike in crime and Government’s response to it, he had alluded to the “intellectual authors” of crime, the people behind the scenes who direct the activities.
He announced that as a result of the charge given by the government, the Guyana Police Force has been doing exceptional work in coordinating and collaborating with intelligence and operations.
“Mr. Hinds’ revelations fit into the mould that says there are intellectual authors of crime, and as Mr. Hinds said, he had some linkages higher up and definitely as a government we will have to pursue those statements that have been made by Mr. Hinds,” Harmon stated.
“We are more interested in what is happening now and I believe that Mr. Hinds can provide us with some linkages, some further information that could show us why these crimes that took place recently did take place and who are the persons who actually gave the directions,” Harmon added.
He said that the most effective way to fight crime is to get to the higher links, the intellectual authors and the providers of the “instruments of death”.
When asked if Hinds will be given official whistleblower status and provided security, Harmon said, “Mr. Hinds is known for protecting himself…Mr. Hinds is welcomed to go into the police if he feels otherwise and he needs some other kind of protection for what he has.”
However Harmon said that he should expect some period of incarceration if he discloses his connections to criminal activities.
Harmon said that he is not offering any amnesty whatsoever to anybody who admittedly is involved in a criminal act or criminal activities and then expect to be exempted from prosecution by offering information.
“Any such arrangement will have to be made with the police and the relevant authority…but what I can say to you is that the intelligence arrangements that are in place now are basically working independently of statements made by Sean Hinds,” Harmon explained.
Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum declined to comment on Hinds’ revelation.
“Unless I see the video (interview) I cannot comment. I made a request to HGP Channel 67 and they have promised to provide me with a copy of the interview,” Blanhum explained.
Meanwhile, the PPP reacted to the recent developments, accusing the Granger-Administration and others of seeking to implicate the Party in the murder of Crum-Ewing.
The PPP noted that the investigations into that murder are still ongoing and, “Characteristically, the APNU/AFC has already determined the outcome, prejudicing the results with their hostile anti-PPP statements.”
The PPP said in a statement issued last evening that Leader of the AFC and Ministers of the APNU/AFC Government have already discovered PPP/C involvement from the very evening of the execution of Crum-Ewing and publicly proclaimed the direction that the investigation must take in establishing the political connection, the political intellectual authors, the PPP, of his murder.
According to the opposition party, it is worthy to note that at no time did Sean Hinds mention Ministerial involvement.
“The plot involving Sean Hinds incriminating PPP/C Ministers and Members must be exposed for what it is, designed by the Granger Government to tarnish the image of the PPP with accusations of murder and directing the investigations to prove PPP/C involvement.
“The PPP/C rejects any involvement in Crum-Ewing’s murder. The PPP/C rejects the vile attempts by the Government to link it with the killing. The PPP/C calls on the Guyana Police Force to disclose the results of their investigations into the murder. The PPP is confident that this disclosure will exonerate the PPP/C fully.”

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