Audio recording into shooting of O’Toole handed over to police

THE Guyana Police Force has received new evidence, which it will peruse to determine its relation to the January 27 shooting of Director of School of the Nations, Dr Brian O’Toole at his Prashad Nagar residence, which has left his left arm partially paralysed.

The additional evidence is an audio recording, which was allegedly done two weeks ago. It was handed over to the police by Dr O’Toole on Monday, during a 90-minute meeting that was convened between Dr O’Toole and Commissioner of Police, Leslie James. The existence of this additional evidence was announced at a joint press conference hosted by the commissioner and Dr O’Toole late yesterday afternoon at the commissioner’s boardroom, Eve Leary.

Also present at the news conference, which sought to “set the record straight and deal with other anomalies” in respect to what has been carried in the media about the incident, were Deputy Commissioners; Crime Chief, Lyndon Alves; and Deputy Commissioner, Administration, along with Dr Gordon, a friend of Dr O’Toole.
The commissioner said that the clarification was necessary because a close review of what has been reported in the media was apparently without confirmation from the police or Dr O’Toole.

Commissioner James, however, assured the media that the investigation is an ongoing one. It involves collaboration with their counterparts in the United States of America and conducting interviews with individuals here.

The commissioner, however, did not elaborate, but stated that those who were questioned by the police, were questioned in relation to the investigation. Speaking about the recording that Dr O’Toole said he had received from a female, the commissioner disclosed that on the recording, there is the voice of a male who was gloating and laughing, hence he saw it necessary to hand it over to the police. Referring to the night of the incident, the ‘Nations’ principal said he has “a clear indication” in his mind as to who had shot him, since his residence was well lit and the individual was a mere five feet away from him.

He is of the firm belief that the incident is related to the dangerous game ‘Forthnight,’ which efforts are now being made to have banned.

According to the principal, prior to the shooting, a past student, who now resides in Florida, had, via posts on social media, threatened to blow up the School of the Nations, among other dangerous acts.

Despite being pressed by the media, neither the commissioner nor the school’s principal disclosed a name. What was told to the media though, is that a perusal of immigration records pertaining to an individual showed that he departed Guyana on December 15, 2018. The shooting took place on January 27, 2019.

Meanwhile, Dr O’Toole, while noting that the meeting he had with Commissioner James was quite useful, lamented that only a certain politician saw it fit to make a statement on the incident, even though some of the contents were not factual. He made it clear though, that he is a Bahai by faith and is not affiliated to any political party.

The ‘Nations’ principal was at pains to explain what assistance he needed from the United States and the local media, when it appears that he is withholding vital information, such as a name, but all that he would say is that the name has been all over the media for weeks now.

The principal, who has spent some US$75,000 and has had four operations, has been left with a partially paralysed arm, into which doctors have implanted steel to replace a shattered bone. He leaves today for further treatment overseas.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE :
Facebook
Twitter
WhatsApp
All our printed editions are available online
emblem3
Subscribe to the Guyana Chronicle.
Sign up to receive news and updates.
We respect your privacy.