COI into plot to kill President Granger…. Recommendations were made for ‘shifty’ complainant to be charged for giving false info – witness

Jul 26, 2017 News

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Police Corporal Keion Benjamin yesterday told the Commission of Inquiry (COI) established to investigate a plot to assassinate President David Granger, that based on their investigations, recommendations had been made for the man at the centre of the allegations to be charged for giving false information to the police.
The information was disclosed following a request by Attorney -at- law Christopher Ram for Benjamin to read a paragraph of his statement.
According to the statement which Benjamin read, the police concluded that from the facts at hand, it was clear that Andriff Gillard’s allegation, which was a serious one, was vexatious.
“It would be an act of dissatisfaction on the part of the police at Grove Police Station, since the records of the said station show that several reports were made at the said station by Andriff about various persons, but very little action was taken.”
He said that the investigations also revealed that there was a burning issue between Gillard and the alleged mastermind Nizam Khan, but Khan, for a reason better known to himself, never reported it.
“It was somewhat strange that Andriff, having been involved in several encounters with Khan, never saw it fit to report to the police or indicate to anyone the offer made by Khan to assassinate President David Granger. Whilst on the other hand, Andriff paid his friend Baldeo the sum of $50,000 to support his untruthful claims.”
This, the policeman said, became worse after Lloyd Adams – a friend of Andriff Gillard – indicated in a statement that Gillard told him via telephone that he was not being truthful. “The telephone records clearly suggest that this conversation did take place; therefore I strongly suggest that Gillard be charged with the offence of giving false information to the police.”
Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum had told the COI that on Monday that after the investigation were launched into the allegations made by Gillard, it was brought to his attention that Gillard was shifting his story and focusing personal issues he had with police investigators.
Blanhum recalled that on March 29, 2017 he received information from the Ministry of the Presidency about an alleged plot to kill the President. He said that as a result he had instructed ranks of the Guyana Police Force, (GPF) to launch an investigation into the matter.
Meanwhile, Detective Chitram Sewsankar in his testimony before the commission yesterday, revealed that he was tasked with acquiring a statement from Businessman, Nizam Khan.
Sewsankar recalled that on March 29 he reported for duty as usual and was instructed to interview Khan, in connection with an alleged plot to kill the President.
Sewsankar said that the instruction to take a statement came from Inspector Prem Narine.
He said that shortly after, he met the suspect who was in custody and procured an ordinary statement from him.
The witness recalled that Khan denied that he had offered Andriff Gillard money to assassinate the President.
“Khan said that he and Gillard were friends and he (Gillard) wanted to borrow money from him.”
Responding to questions by Assistant Commissioner of Police (rtd), Paul Slowe, the witness noted that he did not caution Khan before he gave the statement, even though that is usually done. He said that he did not have a reason for not cautioning the suspect. He said that he “just didn’t caution the man”.
Under questioning from retired Chief Justice, Ian Chang, who is representing the interest of the police in the matter, Sewsankar said that he made records of what the man told him, but he could not recall the full content of the statement, except for the fact that Khan denied the plot to kill Granger.
In his testimony, Inspector of Police, Suraj Singh recalled that he participated in certain aspects of investigations into the alleged plot to kill Granger.
Singh briefly spoke to the Commission, telling investigators that he had to proceed on sick leave.
However, sometime after he learnt of a confrontation was held between Gillard and another man he identified as Baldeo.
Officer Keenan Pickering told the Commission that the brother of the suspect, Imran Khan, behaved disorderly using a series of expletives against the police at Grove Police Station.
He said that Imran Khan had visited the Station to inquire about the reason for his brother‘s arrest. But although he was warned about his conduct, the policeman said that Khan proceeded to behave disorderly and cursed at the officers. The witness recalled that that during this time, a firearm – a 45 pistol he had in his possession -was seized.
The Policeman told the Commission that the man indicated that he wanted to give a statement in relation to a land issue between himself and Gillard. He also threatened to get ranks fired if they did not take the statement.

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