By Leroy Smith
Like the Police Detective Corporal who took her statement on July 19, 2017, Louanna Walker known as “Diva”, appears to have a short memory as she could not recall basic things she did following the conversation she had with Andriff Gillard – the man who was allegedly recruited to assassinate President David Granger.
Walker appeared at the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) on Wednesday and testified that she advised Gillard against going to the police to report that Nizam Khan had given him an offer to kill the president. The woman said that she instead encouraged the man to “wuk obeah” on Nizam Khan.
Walker believes that Gillard was not telling the truth and is of the opinion that he would fabricate the story to the police. During her appearance, Walker could not recall the date and time she had a conversation with Gillard when he told her about the alleged offer made to him by Khan.
Walker said that she would have normal talks with her lawyer and it was during one of those talks that she told him she wanted to go to the police and give a statement discrediting Gillard. She also could not recall her lawyer’s name.
Walker told the Commission that on July 19, she called her taxi driver to take her to the police station but she could not recall which police station she wanted to go; however the Commission heard that it was the Taxi Driver who decided to take her to the CID headquarters.
She further told the Commission that she would have conversations with Gillard’s wife, but could not remember the name of the wife. Walker was asked by the Commission if she had contact with any police officer before she decided to come forward with the statement to discredit Gillard to which she responded in the negative.
She said she did not come forward before July 19 because she thought the matter was finished. During her testimony, Walker struggled to answer the questions put to her, and appeared to be more focused on letting the Commission know what a “bad” person Gillard is to his wife.
She said that while Gillard never told her that he was going to the police station and lie on Nizam Khan, she believes that he was about to lie and that is why she encouraged him not to go. She said that after she saw an investigation was launched and the establishment of the CoI, she decided to come forward on the advice of her “unknown lawyer” and provide the police with a statement.
The Commission will conclude its public hearing on Friday with the cross examination of Police Commissioner (ag), David Ramnarine and the alleged assassin. A motion moved by Christopher Ram to have Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan take the stand, was disallowed by Chairman of the Commission, Paul Slowe.
