Ballistics expert testifies that fatal bullets were not fired from police guns
– triggers widespread speculation it may have come from ‘other sources’
UNITED Kingdom ballistics expert Dr. Mark Robinson has said he has no

evidence to allow him to conclude that the shots which caused the deaths of the three Linden protesters had come from police guns.
Yesterday, in his testimony before the Commission of Inquiry (CoI), he made this disclosure under cross examination by police attorney Peter Hugh as the CoI entered its 12th day of hearing.
This Commission of Inquiry would be remembered by many partly because of the shocking news of the death of one of Guyana’s finest attorneys, Mr. Vic Puran, who was found dead in his vehicle yesterday morning at Mahaicony.
After observing a minute’s silence, the commission moved into regular business, with Region 10 Chairman Mr. Sharma Solomon taking the oath at the witness stand.
Solomon commenced by giving the usual details of his name, et cetera, to the commission,  as asked by attorney for the commission, Mr. Euclin Gomes, who led the cross examination.
The Regional Chairman detailed the organising of the five-day protest activity, explaining that it stemmed from proposed increases in the electricity tariff announced by the Finance Minister in the 2012 budget speech, and the residents of Linden had called on their leaders, him being the chief political figure in the region, to seek representation against those increases.
He gave details about the application for permission submitted to the police for the activities planned, and spoke of the meeting which was held with commander of the E&F Division, Senior Superintendent Clifton Hicken, who outlined the terms and conditions under which the activities were to be conducted.

Asked what time he had gone to the bridge, Solomon told the commission that he arrived at the Mackenzie Bridge around 5.00pm and had found the large crowd gathered there.
He informed the commission that he had spoken to the persons at the eastern side of the bridge, before making his way to the centre, where he met one Mr. Fitz Ralph who was addressing the protesters.
He indicated that the protesters were so many that he could not remember who had introduced him, but he was given the microphone by Mr. Fitz Ralph, and he outlined the programme planned for the Kara Kara Call Centre.
Asked if he had asked the protesters to remove from the bridge, since they were blocking a very important pathway and consequently no vehicle was flowing in either direction, Solomon said he had not.
Solomon was then bombarded with questions of the legality of the protest, since the bridge had been blocked; and video footage was introduced to refresh his memory of events that had transpired on the day in question.
Commissioner Dana Seetahal sought from Solomon if he had seen it fit for the protesters to remain blocking the bridge, and if it was something legal for them to do. He was asked specifically if he had had any intention to move the protesters to the place designated for the protest. Solomon answered in the negative.
Attorney for the aggrieved property owners, Ms Latchmie Rahamat, then asked Solomon   if he had noticed during his presence at the bridge such things as logs, tents and other such material as music boxes, and he said he had not. With the aid of the video footage, she sought to show that in his address to the protesters, Solomon had failed to instruct the protesters to remove from the bridge, and the names he used to refer to the police in his address were unbecoming.
She outlined his instructions in admonishing protesters to call, text and BBM their friends and families to come and support them in the just cause of resting on the bridge.
APNU attorney Basil Williams then commenced his questioning, and sought the details of the activities which commenced on the 5th of April, 2012 (the start of the protest marches).
He was given details of the activities by Regional Chairman Sharma Solomon, and he continued to seek the position of the Linden community in relation to its employment rate and economic standing.
Williams enquired from Solomon whether the Guyana Police Force had cooperated with the requests on the events prior to the July 18th activity, and Solomon indicated that the police cooperation had been professional.
He noted that the July 18th activity had seen unprecedented police presence, and continued to answer questions from Williams.
Solomon was taken back to the meeting at his office, where Divisional Commander Senior Superintendent Hicken and two other officers were present and where threats were issued to his colleagues.
He explained that Sen. Supt Hicken had asked if he knew him, and that he should ask Aubrey Norton about him. He replied that he had enquired of Norton and was told that he was the man at ‘Lindo Creek’.
Asked by members of the commission what was Lindo Creek, he explained that to his knowledge it was where five miners had been killed a few years ago.
Ballistics expert Dr. Mark Robinson was next to give evidence. He outlined his details under cross examination, first by attorney-at-law Mr. Nigel Hughes.
Robinson said he arrived in Guyana last Friday, began his investigations immediately, and visited the scene of the Mackenzie Bridge, where he met a few of the persons who had been injured by the pellets fired on the day in question.
Dr Robinson, an expert of 25 years’ experience, was assisted by Police Sergeant Jackson, who provided a shotgun and ammunition requested by the expert, as he detailed in his report the findings with the aid of the post-mortem of the three dead persons to conclude his findings.
He explained that the pellets found in the deceased persons were of the size 0-0, and they were copper coated, whereas those supplied by the police were of lead, and were 0-0 buck shots.
He explained that the #4 and #6 cartridges supplied by the police were made of lead, as against those found in the three dead persons, which were fired from a long range shot and not by the Unit Commander ASP Todd who had shot in a downward motion.
He noted that the pellets fired by ASP Todd would have been damaged from coming into contact with the surface of the road, and would have had fragments of the surface it had hit before coming into contact with any of the persons.
The commission will continue today at the same venue, and more persons w
ill be called to testify.