THE inquest into the death of the so-called ‘Mandela Three’, who died by Police gunfire on July 29, got underway yesterday after several postponements.

Coroner Juliet Holder-Allen is inquiring into the circumstances under which Antoine Houston called ‘Yankee’, John Bruce and Steve Grant were shot dead by members of the Target Special Squad at the junction of Mandela Avenue and Industrial Site Access Road in Georgetown.

The first witness called was policeman Eustace Abraham, who is stationed at Criminal Investigations Department (CID) Headquarters and attached to the Anti-Crime Task Force.

He said he and others from his unit were on mobile patrol, entering the city from East Bank Demerara, when they observed a white motorcar with persons who looked suspicious inside.

Abraham said, as their vehicle was about 10 yards from the white one, he observed that four people were in it, two each in the front and back seats.

He told the jury of four men and a woman that the driver of his vehicle was instructed by the senior in charge to overtake the white car but the latter stopped and the occupants exited as another Police vehicle pulled up behind theirs.

Abraham recalled that he and two other policemen jumped out of theirs and approached the white vehicle as one of the men who was in it ran away from them and fired a shot from a revolver he had in his possession.

The witness said his superior returned fire and the fleeing man who did the shooting fell on the road.

Abraham said shots were then fired by two other men before he and his fellow policemen shot back and the duo also fell, bleeding from wounds about their bodies and their driver sped off.

The witness said, joined by other cops, his group carried out a full examination of the wounded trio, one of whom he recognised as Grant from Hadfield Street, who was armed with a 9mm pistol.

The other two men had a rifle and a .32 revolver, Abraham said.

He said he and his squad mates took the three hurt victims to Georgetown Public Hospital where they were examined by a doctor and pronounced dead on arrival.

Under cross-examination by attorney-at-law Mr. Basil Williams, who is looking into the interest of the dead men’s relatives, Abraham said Senior Superintendent Steve Merai was in charge of his squad.

The witness confirmed that the gun he carried was designed specially for close contact.

When the inquiry continues, on December 18, other attorney-at-law Mr. Vic Puran, representing the Police, is expected to question Abraham.