He was testifying at the resumed inquest into the death of London and Rhonda Forde, who was also killed in the February 9, 2000 siege at Toucan Suites, Eccles, East Bank Demerara.

In answer to the five-member jury sitting with Coroner Melissa Robertson, the witness said, as the most senior Police rank on duty at the scene, he enquired who shot at London but no one from the Police or Guyana Defence Force (GDF) admitted firing.

Merai was the first Police witness to testify about the circumstances in which the two people died in the apartment hotel during the joint Police and Army operation.

The witness, who is attached to the Eve Leary-based Anti-Crime Task Force known as ‘Black Clothes’ Police, said about 20:00 hours on February 8, 2000, he and a party of other policemen, including late Superintendent Leon Fraser, went to the guest house, after receiving information that London was there.

Merai said all the cops were dressed in regulation uniform and armed and he had an M 70 rifle with 30 live rounds of 7.62 ammunition.

He said, on arrival, he, Fraser, Constable Abraham and Corporal Sobers entered the yard through the western gate and he( Merai) proceeded to rap on a door.

As he rapped, Fraser, Sobers and Abraham positioned themselves along the western wall of the building about two feet away from him and the others cordoned the entire yard.

Merai said his rapping was met with heavy machine gun fire from inside an apartment, shattering windows on the western side and the rapid firing meant that a heavy calibre weapon rather that a handgun was being used.

The witness said four of his men ran out of the yard quickly and took cover behind a concrete fence and, within a minute, a hand grenade was thrown through a window in their direction, causing a loud explosion.

Merai said he then called out to London, saying they were the Police and he should give up himself but more heavy firing followed. They replied in similar manner and that continued for about one hour.

After, Merai said, Sergeant Smith and Corporal Vaughn crawled along the western fence, where Sobers, Fraser and Abraham remained, towards the northern one.

As the shooting went on, the witness, Smith and Vaughn climbed up the northern wall on the pipefittings and a shed and entered the verandah on the second floor.

While, there, Merai said he could have seen the doorway leading to where London was and he observed a wooden stairway, running North to South and connecting the second to the ground floor of the two storey edifice of wood and concrete.

Merai said he saw London’s door open and a woman being pushed out, with heavy machine gun fire directed at her from within. Some of the shots hit the walls of the verandah and the door was shut, before the woman fell screaming as she walked towards the western gate and collapsed about five feet away from it.

Meantime, during the ongoing exchange, London’s door opened again for another teargas grenade to be thrown at them on the verandah where they were.

Merai said he, Smith and Vaughn went over the northern wall of the verandah and the northern fence, then, about 22:00 hours, jumped back into the verandah and, in that period, London occasionally opened his door in a bid to escape and fired shots.

A third grenade was hurled by London, prior to about 15 GDF soldiers arriving around 02:30 hours, under the command of Captain Warde.

Following a quick discussion with Merai and Fraser, Warde and some of his troops ventured into the premises through the northern door and policemen stayed along the western and northern fences.

Merai said, immediately the soldiers gained entry, heavy gunfire sent them running back out and they took cover along the western fence.

Warde reported that a soldier was shot and the injured man was evacuated together with the body of the woman.

At approximately 05:00 hours, Merai said Warde decided he would use an anti-tank missile and blasted Toucan Suites from a yard immediately west of the guest house across the street, after evacuating the people living East and South of the besieged guest house about 06:30 hours.

Merai said the exploding of the missile caused thick, black smoke to billow from the hotel for about 20 minutes.

After soldiers and policemen resumed their positions, the witness and one soldier approached the apartment about 07:20 hours and Warde, Fraser and another soldier were three feet away from them.

Merai said Warde fired two more anti-tank missiles into the apartment and the Police and troops withdrew from the fences into an empty house lot opposite Toucan, as the smoke cleared in about 15 minutes.

With both sets of uniformed personnel in different positions, Warde began negotiating with London for the latter to surrender and the fugitive said he would if he knew a soldier was present.

Merai said Warde asked two of his men to speak but London said he did not know them.

At London’s inquiry about his presence, Merai said he began to negotiate with the wanted man, who said he would give himself up if the witness assured him that he would not be killed.

After London refused to throw out his weapons, Captain (Wycliffe) Mc Allister started bargaining with him.

London repeated the assurance he wanted but Mc Allister and Merai had to seek shelter as a blazing roof above them fell.

Merai said Warde took up a position in an office and, as London was emerging from his apartment, he threw two weapons towards the western wall but the AK-47 rifle and a submachine gun struck the wall and dropped inside.

London, who was wearing a bulletproof vest and multi-coloured trunks, walked westwards and turned north in the direction of his door and out of sight by the witness.

Merai heard rapid gunfire and, looking towards the doorway, he saw London lying on the ground outside, bleeding from wounds about the body.

The witness swore the gunfire originated from where soldiers and Police were in the West and North West direction.

Merai said the wounded London was picked up by policemen and sent to hospital while the witness, Fraser and Warde went inside with Senior Superintendent Adams as the Fire Service extinguished the blaze around 07:30 hours.

The witness said several firearms, including shotguns and handguns as well as Adams collected grenades and a large bag with ammunition.