Police floats statement to discredit alleged Granger assassin

By Leroy Smith

The Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into the alleged plot to assassinate President David Granger was today presented for the first with a statement by a woman even though said statement was taken by the police since  July 19, 2017.

The Commission only became aware of the statement Wednesday morning and it comes twenty one days after the Commission ruled that the police hand over all statements and materials in relation to the matter.

“The [Police] Commissioner himself give evidence a while ago about tapes being in possession, we have seen during the course of the inquiry ranks of the force giving statements and making statements and those things have not been submitted so I am left to wonder what else has been excluded,”  said Chairman of the Commission, Paul Slowe.

The statement, which was submitted by Luanna Walker, was taken by detective Corporal Jermaine Laundry, who has approximately 18 years of service in the Guyana Police Force, most of which was spent in the Criminal Investigation Department.

When the detective was called to the stand for the second time on Wednesday at the request of former Chief Justice, Ian Chang, he testified that he received a statement from Walker where she related that the alleged assassin, Andrif Gillard, had a conversation with her sometime ago during which he vowed to “set up” businessman, Nizam Khan. Chang is representing the interest of the Police Force during the CoI.

Among other things, the woman stated that Gillard accused Khan of wanting to have a relationship with Gillard’s wife. The policeman was made to read the woman’s statement, which also noted that she was not forced or influenced in anyway to make the statement.

But Chairman of the Commission, Slowe raised concerns that it was only today that the commission was made aware of this statement. He said that he finds it disturbing that since July 13, he requested from the Commissioner of Police that all materials in relation to this matter be submitted to the Commission. However, the woman’s statement was excluded.

He then reiterated his call for all materials from the police be handed over to the Commisison, noting that the police may still have other statements in their possession.

On Friday, Assistant Commissioner of Police David Ramnarine would again be testifying before the Commission as well as Inspector Narine. Imran Khan is also expected to give evidence before the Commission on that day.