No charges yet in arms cache find
Detained cop was on special assignment - affidavit
Stabroek News
December 11, 2002
Up to yesterday the police had still not laid charges over the discovery of an arms cache and sensitive equipment in a pick-up at Good Hope, East Coast Demerara.
Three men - including a policeman - were detained on Wednesday by the army allegedly with the arms and ammunition. The three men and two others arrested later, were released on Monday by Justice Jainarayan Singh Jnr on $500,000 bail each after the police failed to charge them.
A senior police source told Stabroek News yesterday that further investigations are still to be carried out before any action could be decided on against the men - Sean Belfield, Shaheed Khan, Haroon Gahya, Christopher Small and Rajesh Sahadeo.
Last Friday, attorneys-at-law Nigel Hughes and Glenn Hanoman for the five filed writs of habeas corpus before the judge, who granted bail when police failed to lay charges by 1:30 pm on Monday.
Concern has been expressed by members of the public over the pace of the police investigations. They noted that the police have acted with speed in other matters where arms and ammunition have been involved.
Belfield, Khan and Gahya were arrested by an army patrol last Wednesday night at Good Hope Housing Scheme after the army ranks observed a “suspicious looking’ vehicle - a blue open-back pick-up with license plate #GHH 7539. Small and Sahadeo were later taken into custody.
According to the affidavit on his behalf, Belfield is a member of the Target Special Squad (TSS) on special assignment. The affidavit in support of the habeas corpus writ said that Belfield “has been a model citizen who has never (run) afoul of (the) law and is fearful of the treatment he may receive at the hands of the Authorities”.
Khan, according to the affidavit in support of his application is the Director of Classic Development Inc (CDI), a construction firm engaged in the building of houses throughout the country. Gahya was also listed as a CDI employee while Small was also described as being employed by Classic Developers and Contractors (CDC) as a procurer of building materials. The affidavit said that Small was arrested at D’Aguiar Park while visiting a friend’s home. It added that he has no previous conviction “neither has he ever negatively interfaced with law enforcement authorities”. Sahadeo was also described as being employed by CDC as a procurer of building materials and he was also detained while visiting a friend’s home at D’Aguiar Park.
The affidavits were sworn to by Ricardo Rodrigues [in the capacity of a friend of all five men] of 29 Dadanawa Street, Section ‘K’ Campbellville.
A joint services release last week said Belfield, Khan and Gahya were questioned after the army ranks detained them and based on the answers given, the aforementioned vehicle was searched, revealing the arms and ammunition and a computer capable of tracking the position of cellular phones.
Police raids conducted on Thursday led to the arrest of several other people.
