Latest update November 8th, 2024 1:00 AM
Latest News
Crum-Ewing murder…‘Grey Boy’ remains in custody, DPP may order him charged again
Despite City Magistrate Judy Latchman ruling that there is insufficient evidence against him, Regan Rodrigues, called ‘Grey Boy’, remained in custody yesterday.
Legal sources indicated last night that the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) may have him re-charged, as early as today, for the murder of political activist Courtney Crum-Ewing.
Kaieteur News understands that he is being detained at the Golden Grove Police Station on the East Bank Demerara. It is the latest twist in the investigation in the Crum-Ewing murder case.
On Wednesday, Magistrate Latchman ruled that there was insufficient evidence against Rodrigues for him to stand trial at the High Court. She discharged Rodrigues, also known as ‘Grey Boy’, for the third time in one year on the murder charge.
In a June 7, 2017 letter to Magistrate Latchman Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Shalimar Ali-Hack said: “In accordance with Section 72 (2) (ii) (a) of the Criminal Law (Procedure) Act, Chapter 10:01, I hereby remit to Your Worship the above-mentioned matter and direct you to comply with Section 65 and 66 of the Criminal Law (Procedure) Act, Chapter 10:01 with a view of committing the accused.”
However, Magistrate Latchman underscored that while the DPP is of the “opinion” that there is evidence against Rodrigues for the indictable offence, her court maintains there is no evidence against Rodrigues in relation to murder committed on Crum-Ewing.
In complying with Section 66 of the Criminal Law (Procedure) Act, Chapter 10:01, Magistrate Latchman asked Rodrigues if he had anything to say in answer to the charge.
An emotional Rodrigues said, “I’m innocent. I don’t know anything. The police (rank) (name called) put a gun in my house and said I swim across the Demerara River. Two times I get free from this charge.”
“How much time I got to prove myself innocent in this country?” he asked.
Thereafter, Rodrigues behaved in a disorderly manner.
According to him, the police know who killed Crum-Ewing and they should go and look for them.
The Magistrate later maintained that there was not sufficient evidence (prima facie case) against Rodrigues and discharged the matter for the second time this week.
But under heavy police escort, Rodrigues was placed in the front passenger seat of a police pick-up truck and taken away.
Magistrate Latchman had discharged the matter on Monday at the conclusion.
During her ruling, then, the Magistrate pointed out that while the court was satisfied that Crum-Ewing was shot with a gun retrieved from a house at Riverview, Ruimveldt which was occupied by Rodrigues. There was no evidence that Rodrigues “used the gun, pulled the trigger and shot Crum-Ewing.”
Fourteen oral statements given to police by Rodrigues were admitted to form part and parcel of evidence in the matter by Magistrate Latchman. However, the Magistrate ruled that these oral statements did not implicate Rodrigues in the murder.
But the following day, the DPP in a letter to Magistrate Latchman directed that she comply in accordance to the law outlined in the correspondence.
Kaieteur News understands that the matter came up on Tuesday last, during which Magistrate Latchman declined to comply with the DPP’s order citing that she had already discharged the matter. And that the DPP could not direct her to commit Rodrigues to stand trial under that section of the Criminal Law (Procedure) Act, Chapter 10:01.
This same Magistrate had also discharged the murder charge against Rodrigues on September 14, 2016 at the end of a Preliminary Inquiry.
However, in March the DPP ordered that the matter be reopened for the taking of further evidence from police witnesses and to rule on the voluntariness of all oral statements made by Rodrigues. As a result, Rodrigues was arrested on Good Friday and was taken before Magistrate Latchman on April 18, and was remanded to prison.
The bullet-riddled body of Crum-Ewing was found at Third Avenue, Diamond New Scheme, East Bank Demerara on March 10, 2015. The 40-year-old was shot twice to the temple, once to the back of the head and twice to the stomach.
The police in a statement had said that the political activist was accosted by four men in a car, one of whom discharged several rounds, hitting him about the body. It was reported that the killer (s) used a .32 pistol to execute Crum-Ewing.
Similar Articles
THE BLUNT OF THE DAY
Sports
Features/Columnists
A lesson from the bread lines of America
…Peeping Tom Kaieteur News- If the American elections of 2024 delivered any one lesson to the rest of the world, it... more
Rising Gun Crimes in the Caribbean: Urgent Action required by all
By Sir Ronald Sanders Kaieteur News – There is an alarming surge in gun-related violence, particularly among younger... more
Weekend Cartoon
