A senior police officer on Thursday said that key officers of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Eve Leary, have all denied giving permission to attorney-at-law Nigel Hughes for the removal of the surveillance tape from the Hamilton Esso station on the morning when its co-owner, Brian Hamilton was shot.
There has been some public concern over the tape being removed by Hughes from the crime scene and being kept for more than two days.
Hughes, who is also the president of the Guyana Bar Association, in response to a letter in this newspaper had stated that when he arrived at the gas station with the father of the victim the police officers were outside and had informed the father that they had completed examination of the area where Hamilton was shot.
"A senior police officer in charge of the party of policemen informed Mr Hamilton that he was waiting upon his arrival to get the tape which was in the recording unit of the surveillance camera. A request was made for the tape to be viewed and copied and returned to the police. Permission was granted by the senior officer for this to be done and I personally undertook to return the tape.
"During the course of the afternoon I spoke with a senior police officer from the Criminal Investigation Units at Eve Leary as well as the senior officer to whom I had previously undertaken to return the tape and confirmed with them both that the tape would be delivered personally by me to Eve Leary. This was agreed by the officer to whom I spoke."
However, Stabroek News contacted a senior police officer on Thursday who requested anonymity and he said all the officers at Eve Leary have denied granting Hughes permission. The senior policeman said that no one apart from the police is authorised to remove anything from the scene of a crime.
According to the officer, the police are continuing investigations into the murder, in addition to the issue of how the tape was removed from the scene.
It was pointed out to the officer that Hughes has admitted publicly that the tape was removed by him and that he had returned it to the police two days after. Hughes had however stated that he had received permission to remove the tape.
The officer reiterated that his officers have denied granting any permission, adding that statements would be taken in the matter and the owner of the gas station will be questioned as to who actually removed the tape.
Asked if the owner had a right to remove the tape, the officer replied in the negative.
The officer said that after the investigation is completed the police would be seeking legal advice on the matter.
Contacted on Thursday Hughes told Stabroek News that "The police had already handed over the property to Mr Hamilton. The tape was removed after the police (handed over the scene)."
Hughes said he was not prepared to comment on the appropriateness of him taking the tape. He pointed out that the recording on the tape was not of the actual scene where Hamilton was shot in his office, but it showed the outside of the station.
The tape would have recorded all who had entered and exited the gas station.