The Bureau of Special Investigation claims its probe into the death of the "Braeton Seven" is being hampered by the human rights group Families Against State Terrorism (FAST), which has advised witnesses not to speak to the police without legal advice.

"The people are not co-operating because of what FAST is doing," Deputy Superintendent Maurice Goodgame told The Sunday Gleaner last week.

"They are prejudicing the case and hampering the investigations. On more than one occasion we have made arrangements to interview family members only for one of the activists to turn up to say the family will not be coming.

"I believe that the reluctance of the people to co-operate stems from the intervention of the human rights group or else the case would have gone well," he added.

However, Miguel Lorne of FAST defended the group's stance, and questioned the motives behind the law enforcers' push for statements.

No problem

"Why are the police in this rush to collect statements at a time when the residents are still traumatised?" Mr. Lorne said. "There is no problem with telling people not to give statements unless their lawyers are present...The police investigators are in a hurry to close the case, but we plan to keep this case as long as possible on the top burner."

Mr. Lorne promised that the police will get most of the statements by Good Friday this week.

Meanwhile, the Police Public Complaints Authority (PPCA) said it too was finding intelligence-gathering difficult. One investigator called it a "teeth-pulling exercise."

"(The investigation) is continuing," said Harold Gayle, a legal officer of the PPCA, an independent body set up to investigate the controversial shooting deaths of seven young men on March 14. "There is some indication that people are reluctant to say anything about the Braeton shootings. It's not an easy task, I can tell you that."

Two weeks ago, the PPCA invited the public to register complaints about the shooting. Reports can be made to the PPCA's fourth floor office at the Kingston Mall, 12 Ocean Boulevard, downtown Kingston.