Named officers could escape prosecution
US evidence not admissible
Stabroek News
October 20, 2002
The Police Officers implicated in the visa sale scam operated by former US embassy official Thomas Carroll are unlikely to face criminal prosecution in Guyana unless Carroll's local accomplice Halim Khan returns to testify against them.
At a press conference on Friday, Home Affairs Minister, Ronald Gajraj, said the statements supplied by the US government cannot be used in evidence against the officers, as these would be considered hearsay.
He said the proffer statements made by Halim Khan in which he named those persons he said had been involved in the visa sale scam would also not be admissible, although given in front of an officer of the Guyana Police Force.
Gajraj added that the officers could also escape departmental proceedings since the rules of evidence are the same as for a court of law.
Police Commissioner, Floyd McDonald said he was awaiting other documents from the US Embassy, which could include the sworn statements before the judge that heard the case against Carroll and Khan. Both men were handed prison sentences earlier this year.
Among the officers implicated in the scam and who participated in the legal proceedings against Carroll and Khan are Hargobin Mortley and Eustace Abraham aka Robo Cop, a member of the Target Special Squad/Black Clothes Police. Stabroek News understands that Abraham is on leave from the Force. Another officer was mentioned in the testimony but he has since retired from the Force.
Illustrative of the difficulty of mounting prosecutions locally was the dismissal of the case against Eton Cordis, against whom charges were brought by the Police only for them to be withdrawn.
The late Superintendent Leon Fraser was also implicated, with US authorities telling the court that he had admitted his involvement. But Fraser had denied to a local team assisting the US investigators here that he was involved in the scheme, according to Home Affairs Ministry sources.
The local team was headed by Deputy Commissioner of Police, Henry Chester and other members included a senior superintendent from the Criminal Investigation Department. When he retired, an Assistant Commissioner of Police replaced him. Stabroek News understands that the team, to which a senior attorney from the Director of Public Prosecutions was attached as legal adviser, did not report to the Commissioner of Police but directly to the Minister of Home Affairs and to the President.
The US Court records indicate that the US Ambassador at the time Carroll was arrested had informed President Jagdeo about their investigations. (Patrick Denny)