Carroll’s statement
Govt ready to prosecute cops once evidence sticks - Gajraj
Stabroek News
August 24, 2002
The government will prosecute any member of the ‘Black Clothes’ police squad, if there is evidence of wrongdoing that can stand the scrutiny of a court. It is also willing to move departmentally against persons where the evidence of wrongdoing is insufficient for a criminal prosecution.
Deputy Commissioner of Police, Henry Chester, had originally headed the local team, which worked with US investigators on the US visa sale probe. When Chester retired an assistant commissioner of police succeeded him.
A number of persons were interviewed and motor vehicles impounded because they were suspected of having been acquired as a result of illegal activities.
However, only one of the persons, Eton Cordis, was taken before the courts and his case was eventually discontinued because of the lack of evidence.
The investigation was recently reactivated and acting Commissioner of Police, Floyd McDonald, is in contact with the competent authority at the US embassy to acquire the relevant information about the involvement of Guyanese officials including members of the Target Special (Black Clothes) Squad (TSS).
Home Affairs Minister, Ronald Gajraj, gave this explanation when the media questioned the government’s inaction in relation to the disclosures about the role played in the visa sale ring operated by convicted former US embassy official Thomas Carroll. Gajraj spoke with the media at the Office of the President where he was attending a special Cabinet meeting on the economy.
The government is fending off allegations that it was aware of the role of several individuals including members of the force and more particularly members of the TSS.
Gajraj explained that though there was a local investigating team headed by Chester and later an assistant commissioner, members of the team in the course of the investigations travelled to the US to confer with the authorities there.
And on one occasion a computer was to be taken up to the US, to see what information could have been obtained from it.
Gajraj said that Chester’s team interviewed a number of police officers but they denied the allegations and there was no other evidence, save Carroll’s statement to support the allegations. Among the officers interviewed was the late Superintendent Leon Fraser who was alleged to have been an enforcer for Carroll.
Gajraj said that Fraser denied to Chester’s team that he was an enforcer for Carroll. However, at Carroll’s sentencing hearing, Hargobin Mortley, a policeman, who was convicted for his role in Carroll’s operations, testified in court that he was an enforcer for Carroll. The minister stressed that the statement which Carroll made to the US Department of State’s Office of the Inspector General was not a caution statement and a number of persons he named had denied being involved with him.