Disappearance of confession statement releases murder accused

Mar 22, 2018 News

The police are facing a huge embarrassment, not the first of its kind, as a murder accused was able to walk out the Kamarang Magistrate’s Court a free man yesterday.
This was possible after the police failed to provide a caution statement to the court.
They had initially confirmed to the court that this statement was in their possession and were able to even provide a photocopy, during an earlier hearing.
Percy Abrams was the subject of a preliminary inquiry into the murder probe of 31-year-old Dexter Edwards, who was killed in November 2016.
Kaieteur News was made to understand that Abrams who provided the police with a caution statement when he was picked up for the murder.
During one of the hearings, the police sought to present a photocopy of the caution statement to the court but the attorney objected, prompting the magistrate to order that the police present the court with the original caution statement.
Arrangements were made and the statement was uplifted from the Criminal Investigation Department in Georgetown and taken to Kamarang, Region Seven where the matter was being heard.
The statement was lodged at the Kamarang Police Station by a detective. However, there are reports that the records at the police station do reflect that the detective who is stationed in Georgetown, did lodge the statement at the station and that is reflected in the property book.
The police sergeant stationed at Kamarang also reportedly confirmed to the court that the statement was lodged at his station but that it cannot be located.
Given these developments and the inability of the prosecution to provide the court with the original statement, the magistrate discharged the matter.
On Wednesday, the father of the victim travelled to the city to meet with the Crime Chief but was unable to do so. He however registered his concerns with the CID Headquarters as he is of the view that an unprofessional course of action was taken by the police, which resulted in the matter being discharged.
He also alleged that a particular police rank stationed at the Kamarang Police Station received a large sum of cash to cause the disappearance of the very critical piece of evidence.
The man is calling on the police and the Ministry of Public Security to launch a probe into the development.

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