By Balford Henry, Senior Staff Reporter
THE LATE Arnett Gardens "area don," William "Willie Haggart" Moore, was an organised crime boss on the international level, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Reginald Grant told the West Kingston Enquiry, yesterday.
Moore and two other men fellow Arnett Gardens "area don" Albert "Blacka Doughe" Bonner and a friend, Noel "Bunny" Hinds, were killed on Black Roses Corner, Arnett Gardens, on April 18 last year by unidentified gunmen.
Dr. Omar Davies, Minister of Finance and Planning and Member of Parliament for Arnett Gardens (South St. Andrew), told the Commission on Thursday that he knew Moore as a businessman, who owned "heavy duty equipment and promote shows." He also described him as "unbashedly PNP." Dr. Davies was severely criticised in the media last year, for attending Moore's funeral at the National Arena.
ACP Grant, the head of the police's Organised Crime Unit (OCU), said that information obtained by the local police on Moore's activities abroad, was that he was an organised crime boss on the international level.
ACP Grant said that there was evidence that Moore's group, the Black Roses Crew, was involved in organised criminal activities in Jamaica, as well. However, he could not recall if he had been personally involved in any of the investigations into the activities of the group.
He said that information about the group's local activities has been fed to international counterparts in law enforcement by local police who, in turn, have shared information obtained by the international agencies both in writing and by word-of-mouth.
Mr. Isaac asked him to name a country with which he had shared information about Moore. Mr. Grant named the United States.
ACP Grant also told the Commission that based on his investigations, illegal firearms have come to Jamaica from the eastern Caribbean island of Grenada.
He said he has recovered Russian-made firearms and made arrests concerning weapons, which came directly out of Grenada after the US intervention in 1983.
Asked by counsel for the Commission, Velma Hylton, to express an opinion as to how those guns got into Jamaica, ACP Grant said: "I would not wish to disclose that source."
Miss Hylton explained to the Commission that her understanding was that the witness's testimony included certain information which he did not wish to disclose in public.
Asked about guns from the United States, ACP Grant said that they were imported by organised crime syndicates. He described the syndicates as, "a group of people, three or more in a geographical area that has a monopoly, or near monopoly, on a criminal activity which provides a continuing corruption to accomplish their (illegal) aim."
He said that members of the groups travel between Jamaica and the United States and link each other chiefly by way of cellular telephones.
It is very difficult to intercept the cellular telephone calls, he said. In addition, there was no legislation in Jamaica to permit the police to intercept these calls and this was a hindrance to proper investigations of organised crime in Jamaica.
On extortion, ACP Grant said this was carried out in any area where there is an "area don."
He explained that an "area don" is the head of a criminal enterprise, "referred to as enforcer, community leader, area leader, don and now includes a president." He said that some of these people "come across as businessmen and women, contractors or (dance/show) promoters."
These people have legitimate businesses which they use as a front for their illegal activities, including the laundering of ill-gotten gains, he said.
The laws did not provide for the police to attack money laundering where it hurts most "in their pockets." He said that the current legislation is based on criminal forfeiture, "and we are saying that if there was an inversion of the burden of proof in terms of forfeiture, then we the police could make an impact."
He said that the United States has legislation for civil forfeiture and he felt that England and Canada were moving towards such laws, as well, "at great pace."
He admitted that he had not made any formal recommendation for the introduction of these laws, but it had been discussed time and time again. He suggested to the Commission that it recommend civil forfeiture rather than criminal forfeiture.
Asked by Miss Hylton why he held that view, Mr. Grant said: Because, the violence in Jamaica is a means used by organised crime syndicates to enforce discipline among their members, to settle disputes or to maintain their turf so that they can have a market share and if they don't have the power base, which is the money, to continue to provide their service, then they will not have that amount of power.
