CID officer condemned for opinionated conclusion in Lindo Creek massacre

DPI, GUYANA, Monday, May 14, 2018

The Investigation into the 2008 Lindo Creek massacre by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Guyana Police Force, presented an opinionated conclusion on who carried out the murders.

The commission today, chided the investigating department over its position, particularly since it came to that conclusion based on the testimony of a single witness.

Police Sergeant Rodwell Sarabo, who is currently stationed at the ‘A’ Division headquarters, Brickdam was part of the Serious Crimes Unit of the CID in 2008. Today he was questioned about his role in the investigation ten years ago.

The CID investigation had led officials to then 15-year old Dwyane Williams, who allegedly told investigators that he was part of the Rondell “Fineman” Rawlins gang and that it was the gang that carried out the massacre. He was brought from the Ituni police station to the CID headquarters.

The CID had received the statements of the joint services as well as some civilians, however, the police sergeant said the unit formed its opinion based only on the evidence of the young teen.

“You took many statements and only one person said who did it, and that was Williams. None of those other persons said anybody did it. What kind of investigation did you carry out?” the chairman questioned.

According to the police officer, the only statement that implicated “Fineman” as the perpetrator of that act was that of Williams.

Sarabo was further questioned on whether he had taken statements from mining camp owner Leonard Arokium, to which he responded in the negative. Arokium’s statement counters the reported evidence of the young Williams. He said, it was in fact, the joint services that carried out the killing.

The Police Sergeant came in for further criticisms over his failure to visit the scene of the crime. He informed the COI that officers of the ‘E’ and ‘F’ Divisions had visited the sites already and that that was enough.

 

By: Alexis Rodney.

Images courtesy Jules Gibson.