Glenroy Sinclair, Staff Reporter
A Scotland Yard detective oversees the removal of furniture and other items from the death house in Kraal, Clarendon, on June 3, 2003 where four people were killed a month earlier. - FILE
THERE WAS a bomb-shell development in the Kraal case yesterday as two policemen - Detective Sergeant Dennis Ballin and Detective Corporal Terrence Tingling, were arrested and charged with 'planting' evidence at the scene of the controversial police killings in Kraal, Clarendon, more than two years ago.
They bring to eight, the number of policemen to be charged for the May 7, 2003 shooting death of Angela Richards, Kirk Gordon, Lewena James and Matthew James. The four civilians were shot and killed during an alleged shoot-out between gunmen and members of the now disbanded Crime Management Unit (CMU), that was led by Senior Superintendent Reneto Adams. The SSP and five other policemen are facing murder charges.
RANGE OF CHARGES
Ballin and Tingling were arrested by Assistant Commissioner Granville Gause and slapped with a range of charges including four counts of accessory after the fact to murder and accessory during the acts, tending and intending to pervert the course of justice in relation to the Kraal case.
They are suspected to have taken the gun that was planted, from the premises of a prominent Kingston businessman.
The incident comes just three months before the trial of the controversial case which sparked cries of police brutality in some quarters. Reacting quickly, then Commissioner of Police Francis Forbes disbanded the CMU and relegated the controversial Adams to a desk job.
Yesterday, in the Half-Way Tree Resident Magistrate's Court, Ballin, 38 and Tingling, 34, were each offered bail in the sum of $500,000 with surety. They are to surrender their travel documents and report to the police at least once per week. They are scheduled to return to court on August 22.
ENOUGH EVIDENCE
David Fraser, acting Senior Deputy Director of Public Prosecution, told the court that there were eyewitnesses, telephone records and more records of communication through police control, to support the charges against the men.
The court was also told that the policemen allegedly went to a premises owned by a prominent Kingston businessman, where they removed a semi-automatic pistol which they took with them to Clarendon.
Further allegations are that the men fired several shots from the gun then picked up the spent shells. The firearm and spent shells were then handed over to a senior officer. This was done to create the impression that the gun was fired at the scene of the fatal shooting.
The matter was investigated by retired Assistant Commissioner Osbourne Dyer and members of the Bureau of Special Investigation. The then police commissioner requested the assistance of Scotland Yard detectives to assist in the investigations.
Following the completion of the investigations, the DPP ruled that Adams and five other policemen be charged with murder. The others are Corporal Patrick Coke, Constables Shane Lyons, Roderick Colleyard, Lynford Gordon and Devon Bernard.
