By Barbara Gayle, Staff ReporterFIVE OF the six policemen charged for the murder of seven young men in Braeton, St. Catherine, in 2001 appeared in the Home Circuit Court yesterday and were offered bail in the sum of $2 million each with sureties.
Constables Leighton Bucknor, Miguel Ebanks, Devon Bernard and Corporals Leighton Bucknor and Wayne Constantine are each charged with seven counts of murder.
They are booked to re-appear on December 19.
The sixth policeman, Sergeant Raymond Miller, has not yet been charged.
LEFT THE ISLAND
Attorney-at-law Valerie Neita-Robertson told the court that Miller had left the island sometime ago to seek medical attention abroad. She said he indicated that he would be returning to face the court.
Mr. Justice Wesley James ordered that the policemen surrender their travel documents to the police and report to the Police Commissioner's office on Tuesdays and Fridays.
The policemen have all taken up their bail, which was offered by the court after Senior Superintendent Granville Gause said the police were not opposing bail.
Yesterday's proceedings were watched by a large contingent of police personnel, including Senior Superintendent Reneto Adams and Senior Superintendent Donald Pusey, as well as executive members of the Police Federation.
Adams headed the Crime Management Unit (CMU) which was involved in the shootings, and commanded the operation at Braeton. The unit has since been disbanded.
Paula Llewellyn, Senior Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions, gave a detailed explanation as to the reason the six policemen were indicted for the murder of Christopher Grant, Andre Virgo, Lancebert Clarke, Curtis Smith, Dane Whyte, Tamoya Wilson and Reagan Beckford, on March 14, 2001.
She said forensic evidence showed that the bullets were fired from their guns.
A coroner's jury had returned a six to four majority verdict last year that no one was criminally responsible for the deaths of the seven. The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) reviewed the depositions and ruled that the policemen should be charged.
Despite objections and interruptions from the defence lawyers, Miss Llewellyn said in the interest of full disclosure, transparency, interest of justice and in the interest of the public, she had to outline why those men were charged and why SSP Aadms and the other members of the police party were not.
SPECULATIONS AND
MISINFORMATION
She said there were speculations and misinformation in the matter and pointed out that it was only a jury, "triers of fact assessing the strength or weakness of a witness, [and] reliability, would be best qualified to determine where the truth resides".
Miss Llewellyn warned that the Office of the DPP was prepared to deal harshly with anyone who, according to credible information, sought in any way to pervert the course of justice by threatening any civilian or police witnesses whether for the prosecution or the defence.
She said the Police Public Complaints Authority, headed by retired high court judge Lloyd Ellis, would have direct responsibility for overseeing the welfare of the civilian witnesses.
CHARGES AGAINST
FIVE OUTLINED
"They will liaise directly with the Office of the DPP during the conduct of this matter at all stages," she said.
After Brian Sykes, Acting DPP, outlined the charges against the five men, Miss Llewellyn explained to the court that there were no eyewitnesses to the actual shootings but the prosecution would be basing its case primarily on civilian accounts of what they heard and what was seen before the actual killing of the seven.
She said the Crown would also be relying on ballistics and post-mortem evidence to prove its case.
Miss Llewelyn said although SSP Adams was the ground commander, he had maintained - supported by scientific evidence and colleague officers' evidence - that he at no time fired his gun during the incident.
