–inmates allegedly issued threats

LESS than 24 hours after two cops were remanded to the Lusignan Prison for the murder of Godfrey Scipio, 64, called “Sagga”, a popular D’Urban Street, Georgetown businessman, their lives are already at stake.

Last Thursday, former ‘Best Cop’, Detective Corporal Derwin Eastman and Constable Jameson Williams, both attached to the Brickdam Police Station, appeared before City Magistrate, Judy Latchman, for the capital offence.
The indictment alleged that the duo on October 12, at Sandy Place, Kitty, Geogetown, murdered Scipio during the course of a robbery.

The duo have been remanded until December 5. The torment and abuse against the two cops, particularly Eastman, started while at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts lockup.
The prisoners shouted at Eastman, “Wait till we go back so [Lusignan Prison], we guh deal with you.” Police officers attached to the court quickly placed the two cops in another confinement before taking them to the Lusignan Prison.

A police source has confirmed that upon Eastman’s arrival at the Lusignan Prison on Thursday afternoon, inmates created an uproar.
According to the source, there seems to be “bad blood” between Eastman and some of the inmates, who he may have arrested or investigated.

On Friday morning, Eastman was allegedly assaulted by some inmates who held a mini-riot against him. The police and prison officers had to intervene to move Eastman to safety.
When Guyana Chronicle contacted Director of Prisons, Gladwin Samuels, he dismissed the allegations as “false”.

During Eastman’s arraignment in court on Thursday, his attorney Nigel Hughes addressed the court about his concerns for the safety of his client.
Hughes had explained that even when his client was being escorted into court, someone had shouted to Eastman: “Your days are number and persons are awaiting your arrival in prison. Remember you try to shoot me.”
The allegation levelled against the cops stems from Aubrey Bobb, who is also charged and on remand for Scipio’s murder.

Ranks from the police Major Crimes Unit were able to arrest the two cops, days after the alleged trigger man, Bobb, was placed on remand.
Bobb is reported to have claimed that Eastman is the mastermind behind the businessman’s murder and that he (Eastman) went as far as to providing him (Bobb) with the gun to do the hit.

Eastman reportedly met with the hitman at William and Queen Streets, Kitty. Constable Williams was driving Eastman’s car at the time of the shooting.
According to information received, police managed to arrest Bobb a day after the shooting, after reviewing CCTV footage from the Kitty hotel in front of which Scipio was shot and robbed. The gold jewellery that was reportedly stolen from Scipio during the robbery has not been recovered.

Scipio was shot once, just after being attacked and robbed, allegedly by Bobb outside of the hotel. He was reportedly leaving the hotel in the company of a female friend and was about to enter his car which was parked in front of the building, when he was accosted by Bobb.
According to police, investigations revealed that the suspect “discharged a round hitting Scipio in the abdomen, relieved him of his jewellery and escaped on foot in a northern direction”.

Scipio was rushed to a private city hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
Reports indicate that the killing of the popular businessman appears to be an execution instead of a robbery, since investigators discovered it may be linked to the recapture of notorious prison escapee, Mark Royden Durant, also known as Royden Williams and “Smallie”.

Scipio was a popular vendor at the Berbice Bus Park and the prison escapee was caught in a minibus at Weldaad, West Coast Berbice on October 9 after joining a minibus at the Berbice Bus Park.

Eastman, who submitted himself to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) Headquarters, Eve Leary, Georgetown, posted on his Facebook page, “Good Day all, God is in charge, all will be well, I am innocent of the allegation.”