By Clestine Juan

REGAN Rodrigues, alias ‘Gray Boy,’ who is currently on trial for the murder of political activist Courtney Crum-Ewing yesterday expressed frustration after the matter was forced into another adjournment by Magistrate Judy Latchman.Rodrigues has currently spent over the last 11 months on remand for the murder of the political activist, which occurred on March 10, 2015, at Diamond Housing Scheme, East Bank Demerara.

At Monday’s hearing, Special Prosecutor Nigel Hughes was ready for the continuation of the trial since he had brought another witness to testify along with evidence to be submitted to the court. However the matter was adjourned until June 29.

Grey Boy, who is always vocal during his hearing, pleaded his innocence and accused the police of improper investigation.

“The police need to investigate themselves, because I can’t see the gun that they say I shoot the man, don’t match the same bullet they found in his head,” Rodrigues said while he stood shackled in the prisoner docks.

The prisoner pointed out that the police had no solid evidence linking him to the charge. However they arrested him because of his criminal background.

“It’s because ah poor and needy. The same gun the police link and charge me with get dismissed” Rodrigues stressed.

Magistrate Latchman, after hearing the prisoner’s claims scolded him and said: “You need to have a little faith” as she give the matter another date for trial.

However Grey Boy shook him head in disagreement and said under his breath: “I must have faith in the court system and them charging me for the murder of a man I never kill?”

In January, Rodrigues was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment after being found guilty by City Magistrate Fabayo Azore on a charge of escaping from lawful custody.

Rodrigues, however, had the charges of possession of illegal arms and ammunition dismissed against him. He was indicted for escaping from lawful custody on July 13, at Riverview, Ruimveldt, while in the custody of Constable 2041 Thomas pending criminal charges for unlawful possession of a firearm and unlawful possession of ammunition.

It was also alleged that on the same day, he had in his possession one Taurus pistol and 14 live rounds of ammunition without being a licensed firearm holder. These two charges were dismissed since the Magistrate found no evidence to show that the defendant had knowledge of the weapons. She noted that the illegal gun was not found in the defendant’s bedroom, but was instead under a chair the police had to lift up.

In addition to that, the defence, during the trial, raised a concern that there was multiple occupancy of the home.

At his first court appearance last year , ‘Grey Boy’ explained that he was being victimised by the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), because everybody is labelling him a murderer and a cold-blooded killer, who wanted to execute an innocent man. The magistrate had to remind Rodrigues of his right to remain silent, although he told her that he would like to “reason with the court.”

In his “reasoning,” he implicated Rajput Narine, a former bodyguard of former Attorney General and People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) executive member Anil Nandlall, and a highly ranked police officer whom he named as ‘Creaser.’

Narine and ‘Creaser,’ Rodrigues noted, were the ones who had offered him money to execute Courtney Crum-Ewing, but he said he had refused the offer because he was a supporter of A Partnership for National Unity (APNU).

He said he had gone to the police, who instead held him for the crime, because “once money pass, nobody cares.”

Political activist, Crum-Ewing was gunned down on March 10, 2015 while encouraging residents of Diamond New Housing Scheme to cast their votes in the May 11, General and Regional Elections against the PPP. The former soldier had come to the public’s attention after he had held a one-man demonstration for 80 days in front of the office of the then Legal Affairs Minister and Attorney General, Anil Nandlall, following revelations of a taped conversation between that official and a senior reporter of the Kaieteur News.

Crum-Ewing was shot five times -– thrice to the head, once to the back of the neck, and once under one of his arms. All the bullets were fired from behind and at close range, except the one that hit him under his arm and exited through his shoulder.