…after caution statement disappears from police station

POLICE ranks at the Kamarang Police Station, Mazaruni, Region , are expected to give statements into a matter in which the caution statement of a murder accused mysteriously disappeared from that police station.

The development came to light on Wednesday when the accused returned to court in the area and the statement could not be presented to the court as was previously ordered. Magistrate Allan Wilson dismissed the matter against Percy Abrams and allowed him to walk away a free man after the prosecution informed the court that the caution statement which was lodged at the station, could not be located.

This is even as the records at the station confirmed that the critical evidence in the ongoing case was taken there by a police detective from the Criminal Investigation Department in Georgetown sometime back. Abrams is accused of murdering Dexter Edwards, a gold miner back in 2016. The two reportedly had a misunderstanding and it was during the standoff that Edwards was murdered.

When the police picked up Abrams for the crime and questioned him, he reportedly confessed to the murder. However, at one of the court proceedings, the police presented a photocopy of the caution statement which they received from Abrams and the court rejected it after the lawyer for the accused protested. The prosecution was ordered to present to the court the original statement. Efforts were made to have that statement reach the district well ahead of the court date and that was done when a rank from the city took it to the Kamarang Police Station where it was lodged.

However, when a call was made for it on Wednesday at the hearing, the police informed the court that the statement was present at the station prior, but when efforts were made to secure it for Wednesday’s hearing, it could not be located. That prompted the lawyer for the accused to put forward arguments which found favour with the court. The charge against the man was dismissed for want of prosecution. The father of the victim is now calling on the relevant authorities to look into the matter and bring the persons who are responsible for the disappearance of the caution statement to justice.

He alleged that persons might have been induced to destroy the evidence. A report has since been lodged with the Criminal Investigation Department Headquarters in Georgetown.