– Criminal records strengthening key to apprehension of long standing fugitives from justiceBy Dale AndrewsDo you know of anyone who has been on the run for years after committing crimes? The police need your help.It doesn’t matter if the crime was committed yesterday or two decades ago; giving the police a tip will go a far way toward bringing the perpetrators to justice.Many persons remain on the loose, even walking the streets freely without having to hide, and others are even committing crimes without any fear of being captured.To this end the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Guyana Police Force is in the process of compiling data on wanted persons. The information will be posted on its official website.Crime Chief Seelal Persaud told this newspaper that a list of wanted persons should be posted on the website and distributed throughout the country within a week.He added, however, that initially these fugitives for whom the police have photographs will be the first to be distributed, while the others will follow shortly.The Crime Chief explained that for the purpose of identification parades, the force will be unable to publish the photographs of some of the fugitives since this could compromise the relevant cases.It is expected that some of the cases will go as far back as three decades.The CID is contemplating the establishment of a Cold Case Unit to deal specifically with unsolved cases.But judging from reports, it will take more than just talk to ensure success in this venture.For one, the constant change of personnel at the various police locations throughout the country is in many ways prohibiting the smooth flow of investigative procedure.The most affected are the far flung areas such as Lethem where ranks have to police a vast area and porous border that provide cover and escape for fugitives from justice.Take for example the January 1969 Rupununi Uprising, in which policemen and civilians were murdered.So many years have passed and it is nigh impossible for the present ranks at Lethem, and by extension the entire police force, to actually identify the perpetrators, some of whom have undergone name changes and drastic changes in appearance.Most of the perpetrators of the Rupununi Uprising fled to neighbouring Venezuela, and remained there for years.The police insist that unsolved murder cases are not disposed of – they just remain dormant until there is a breakthrough, no matter how long it may have occurred, as long as the suspects are alive.But this newspaper was reliably informed that suspects in the uprising have from time to time returned to the jurisdiction but escape prosecution for various reasons.One is that the police ranks at the location would hardly be expected to know the perpetrators.This newspaper understands that less than a decade ago the police received information that the families held responsible for the killings had organised a reunion and those who had fled, returned to Guyana to participate.According to a police source, who was stationed at Lethem at the time, the information was filtered to the hierarchy of the force in Georgetown and a team headed by now retired Assistant Superintendent Maynard was dispatched to investigate.However by the time they arrived, the perpetrators had already left the jurisdiction and returned to their respective adopted homelands.“They held it (reunion) on a weekend. They came in the Saturday and by Sunday afternoon they had already left,” the source said.Then there is the case of Calvin Dookwah, called Desai, who has been on the run from police at Lethem for almost eight years.Dookwah is wanted for burglary, attempted rape and many other crimes and is still to be apprehended, despite sightings by residents in the community as recent as a month ago.According to the resident, Dookwah, who fled to Brazil after the police upped the pressure for his arrest, had served time in a federal prison in the neighbouring country.“Up to week before the last he was in Guyana but the police here don’t know him,” the resident said.But although he is known to persons in the area, most people are reluctant to inform the police of his presence for fear of being compromised.And with the soon to be opened Takatu Bridge likely to provide swift getaway for fugitives, there is every reason for the law enforcement agencies to strengthen their intelligence portfolio.This brings the issue of the proposed cold case unit back into focus.It is widely acknowledged that the unit will not be successful unless local knowledge is utilised to the fullest.“These people pass through the Customs and Immigration, but there are no records of fugitives at the ports of entry,” a source at the Guyana/Brazil border observed.According to the Crime Chief, Seelall Persaud, the proposal to establish the unit has been stymied by the lack of adequate manpower.This is in addition to the growing demands on the staff of the Criminal Investigations Department.Despite the advancement of technology which can greatly assist in solving cold cases the Guyana Police Force currently relies on paperwork which is stored in the best available way.The Crime Chief said should such a unit become a reality, the Police Force will first have to look at the amount of unsolved cases and then build a database to facilitate proceeding with them.He pointed out that they will have to revisit evidence and re-interview available witnesses.“With the passage of time things change. There may be some things that witnesses would not have said then but would be willing to say now,” he explained.But while some may question the proper storage of evidence over a prolonged period of time, the Crime Chief pointed out that the police force has managed to store these to the best of its ability.“Once exhibits are seized, they are lodged and stored in the best way possible. Spent shells and other murder weapons are some of these. In the case of perishable evidence, we photograph them and then dispose,Kevin Love Jersey,” Persaud stated.But one problem facing the proposed initiative is the unavailability of witnesses, either through migration or death.Assistant Commissioner Persaud told this newspaper that while it may seem that nothing is being done with regards to a number of unsolved cases, the CID does not close these matters.He revealed that the police force has been able to solve a number of cold cases within recent time and pointed to the recent GuySuCo payroll heist in which one of the suspects was charged with another robbery under arms, an offence committed in 2005.In another matter, the police were able to charge a person for a murder in the Botanical Gardens which was committed 15 years prior.Although the police have recorded recent successes in capturing or killing fugitives, there still remain a high percentage of persons who have escaped justice for high profile crimes.The name Maxwell Melville readily comes to mind.Melville, called ‘Lunkie’, who is wanted for murder, staged one of the most daring escapes from the Camp Street Prison and has remained a free man, despite sightings in remote parts of northern Guyana.From all indications, the fugitive may have undergone an appearance alteration with the passage of time. The same may be the case with all other outstanding fugitives.Within recent times, the police have been able to identify perpetrators of crimes but in most cases it took quite a while before wanted bulletins are issued.The argument has always been the legal implications.One of the major bugbears, however, is the dissemination of information on wanted persons.Except for a few one-off publications in the media, the Guyana Police Force has only seen it fit to post up bulletins of wanted persons in police stations.This initiative lacks the desired impact, since except for the persons who visit police stations, whether on a regular basis or not, these bulletins will go unnoticed by the general public.There is the suggestion that instead of posting them only at police stations, the police should make use of public billboards to enhance the possibility of reaping success.“The (dance) promoters are posting up their posters in locations where the public can see. Why can’t the police do the same in places like the post offices and other locations where members of the public frequent in large numbers?” an attorney at law reasoned.This newspaper was instrumental in helping the police capture a murder suspect although the official bulletin had not been distributed.
