Georgetown: Crime Chief, Senior Superintendent Wendell Blanhum has described the alleged plot to assassinate President David Granger as “inherently incredible”. The Crime Chief was at the time addressing a Commission of Inquiry (COI) into the matter on Monday.
The Head of the Criminal Investigation Department’s testimony was synonymous with earlier evidence given by Assistant Commissioner, Clifton Hicken.
During his testimony, the Crime Chief told the Commission that based on legal advice received from Police Legal Advisor Justice Claudette Singh, the information yielded from the investigation was weak and as such should continue; it was not sufficient to lay charges.
In his evidence-in-chief, Blanhum recounted that he received a call from a staff of the Ministry of Public Security on March 29, indicating that Andrif Gillheart made an allegation against businessman Nazim Khan stating that he was offered $7M to kill the President.
Gillheart, he said had claimed that Khan offered him money to assassinate President Granger or find someone to do it.
But he clashed with, Commissioner and former Assistant Commissioner, Paul Slowe when inquiries were made into whether he personally ensured that an entry was made in the occurrence book.
Blanhum said he did not consider that his responsibility. He told Slowe that he is a manager at the Executive level, who has supervisors and ranks that work below him and are tasked with those functions.
“On a weekly basis as the Crime Chief, I am engaged with over one hundred investigations at the executive level of the force, the strategic, tactical level and operational level and I think the question should be asked to the investigators themselves,” Blanhum said.
The Crime Chief said he has been at CID for the past 17 years and there is absolutely no need for the Crime Chief to verify who made entries into the station diary or any other document. He made it clear that he is a “manager at the executive level”.
Blanhum said he did not find it to be strange since significant progress was made with the investigation, a conclusion that Slowe did not willingly accept.
Blanhum argued that the date had no relevance to the outcome of the investigation to which Slowe responded that it is an indication that due diligence was not placed on the report submitted while referring to his own experience in the Police Force.
The Crime Chief cautioned the former Assistant Commissioner not to make assumptions and comments based on his personal experience, as it can be prejudicial.
Former Commander ‘A’ Division Clifton Hicken appeared earlier before the Commission and he too bumped heads with Slowe. Slowe told Hicken that there was a dereliction of his duty when he failed to question Gillard on March 29. Hicken told the Commission that he received a call from the Crime Chief requesting that Gillard be escorted to CID headquarters from the Ministry of Public Security. He sent Divisional Detective, Michael Kingston, to collect Gillard and take him to his (Hicken’s) office. When Gillard arrived, Hicken only verified he was the person Blanhum referred to and sent him to CID with Kingston.
The former Commander told the Commission that he contacted the Police Commissioner on the matter and, he too, told him to have Gillard sent to CID immediately for questioning. “I confirmed the name of the man and forwarded him to CID headquarters,” said Hicken who currently serves as Assistant Commissioner, Operations. Asked why he did not question Gillard, he said, “It was not for me to get involved in matters involving CID.”
This response did not find favour with Slowe who said, “I am not accepting that!” “Won’t you have been interested to know what is the story?” he continued. But Hicken maintained that he did what was required of him. He said it was necessary for him to ensure it was the right individual being escorted to CID. “Chief, you have to confirm these things…if it was the wrong person, I would have been in the hot water by now,” said Hicken, who made it clear he has no intention to tarnish the nature of the investigation. “I just didn’t want to get involve.” “Nobody wanted to get involve…that is quite clear and based on what you have said so far…you chose not to ask the man any questions,” concluded the Commissioner who noted “that is neglect, that is dereliction of duty.”
Hicken noted too, that as far as he is aware the matter was not recorded in his division and noted he was specifically asked to escort Gillard and not to interview him. “That is a commander level perspective?” questioned Slowe to which Hicken replied, “You are harping on the commander level and you know that when things are handled at CID Headquarters, commanders don’t get involved…I think some of the structures would have faded away…I note your tone and I am very straight with this inquiry…I know what you’re saying but the standard and latitude you would have had in your time is different…this is not where you left…this is a different time.”
However, Slowe maintained that initial investigations should begin at the divisional level and there must be records to reflect same
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