Cop attests to seeing vendor throw grenade
A police officer yesterday testified before the Commission of Enquiry into incidents during the 55-day public service strike, that he saw the person who threw the grenade at a Tactical Services Unit (TSU) squad deployed to control a crowd outside the Ministry of Finance on June 10. Led by Director of Public Prosecutions, Denis Hanomansingh, Constable Oswald Perry, who is stationed at TSU, Eve Leary, testified that he had been one of the members of a TSU squad that had received instructions at around 1515 hrs to proceed to the Ministry of Finance. He testified to reaching the scene and after disembarking, seeing a crowd of persons in front of the ministry. Among the persons in the crowd, he said, was a tall man, whom he saw reach into his right side pants pocket and withdraw a green object. He swore that the man then made an action as if to discard a pin and threw the object at the TSU squad. Perry said that he saw the object hit Constable Marshall in the head and then fall on the ground between himself and Marshall. On Thursday, at the first full sitting of the Commission of Enquiry, which is being conducted at the Public Service Appellate Tribunal in Brickdam, Constable Dwayne Marshall had testified that the object had fallen on his helmet, while Constable McAndrews had testified that the object had then bounced on his thigh before hitting the ground. Yesterday, Perry testified that he had seen the object fall to the ground and had observed it to be a grenade. He further told the court that the man he had seen throw the grenade used to live in his (Perry's) native Anns Grove and that he recognised him on sight. He said that he did not know the man's name, but that he knew where the man lived and that he was a coconut vendor who operated near the Bourda Market. The constable continued that after returning to the TSU base, he had reported the matter to other officers, who then took the report to Deputy Superintendent of Police, Albert Connell, who had been in command of that particular TSU squad. According to Perry, he and three other named officers then proceeded to the Anns Grove home, where the man who threw the grenade lived. He said that they failed to locate the man and were also unsuccessful in finding him at the Bourda Market when they checked. In response to a question from the judge, Perry stated that the officers had stopped looking for the man after failing to find him on several occasions. Before Perry gave his testimony, the stand was occupied by Constable Suraj Baichu who reported that he had been hit by a stone thrown by a member of the crowd. Baichu testified that he had and other officers were on duty outside the Ministry of Finance on the day in question while a crowd of about 60 persons was hurling abuse at police officers and later became uncontrollable. He said that around the time that the TSU squad arrived, he had noticed a man with three bricks in his hand. He said that he suggested to three other officers that they arrest the man and as they began their approach, someone shouted, "look the police coming," and the man began to run away. The unidentified man then stopped, he said, and tossed the three bricks--one of which hit him on the body and another hitting Constable Steffon Noble. Baichu said that the man was arrested and taken to Brickdam Police Station. He told the court that shortly after the grenade throwing incident, First Vice-President of the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU), Dr Anwar Hussein, arrived on the scene. The constable testified that Dr Hussein was known to him by virtue of Dr Hussein's links to the GPSU. He said that the doctor had told him directly "if we want war, war gon start now." He also quoted Dr Hussein as telling the protesters to put salt and lime on their knives and bore and the police. Baichu said that a short time later members of the crowd took up the cry. Baichu said he remained on the scene until after 1700 hrs, when Dr Hussein had already departed, before leaving himself. Baichu and Perry were the only witnesses to take the stand yesterday and were led in their testimony by Hanomansingh who is representing the police in the enquiry. Yesterday, the court witnessed the first appearance of attorney-at-law Mortimer Cumberbatch, who has been appointed counsel to the commission. The Commission of Enquiry will not be in session over the weekend and Justice Singh advised the participants that on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of next week, the hearings would resume at 1500 hrs each day. He cited a full schedule in court as the reason why he would not be able to sit for the entire day. Justice Singh directed Hanomansingh that on resumption, the commission would be looking at incidents outside the Ministry of Agriculture, the High Court, Magistrate's Court and related departments.
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