– against cops implicated in Brazilian miner’s murder

A NUMBER of civilians were up to late Monday evening said to be “cooperating fully” with police investigating the murder at Puruni on Saturday of Brazilian national, Estevao Marques Costa.

This was confirmed by Crime Chief Paul Williams when contacted by the Guyana Chronicle.
The paper was also reliably informed that from what is being said in those statements, things are not looking well for the policemen involved in the shooting.
Word is that the pair of lawmen, a constable and a corporal, have already been transferred to the city and are under close arrest at the Tactical Service Unit where their movements are restricted.

It is unclear at what point they may be put under full arrest, or if the police will seek to keep them under close arrest until they receive word on how to proceed with the matter from legal minds upon whom the police force usually rely for legal guidance.

The cops who were stationed at Kurupung, reportedly shut shop and went about their own business, singling out particular mining camps along the Puruni River on which to carry out raids, which is what happened when the shooting occurred.

The Guyana Chronicle has been reliably informed that diplomatic channels have already been opened between Guyana and Brazil on the matter, as the uncle of the dead young man is said to be a mayor in that country and has been paying close attention to the handling of the investigations and developments in the case.

On the day in question, the subordinate officer otherwise referred to as a corporal reportedly remained in a boat and allowed the constable to go and confront civilians without supervision.

It was during that period that loud explosions were heard, and when the corporal reached the location, he found the man lying on the ground motionless.

The constable reportedly told the corporal that the man discharged a weapon at him, and all he did was return fire, hitting him in the process.

Persons in the area dispute this, saying that the man did not shoot at the police; that it is the police who attempted to shake him down and opened fire on him when he did not comply with his demands.

Persons have long complained about the highhandedness of the police and even GGMC officials in the mining communities who would carry out illegal raids on foreign nationals and even small miners.

They say that persons are often threatened with either deportation or being charged if the officers do not get what they demand.

The investigation into this latest matter continues, even as the Public Security Minister has already added his voice to the situation and called for a proper probe, and again repeated his call for rogue elements to be rooted out of the Guyana Police Force.