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…says Henry family lost confidence in GPF
“The failure of the Guyana Police Force to investigate the contents of the ten alibi statements provided to them before the institution of the charge of murder against Gladston Henry is the hallmark of an inadequate, unsatisfactory investigation lacking in diligence or the basic minimum standards of contemporary investigative operations,” Nigel Hughes attorney for Henry said in a press statement Saturday evening.
He said the subsequent failure to even contact any of the alibi witness prior to the press conference attended by the alibi witnesses discloses the most unfortunate disposition of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) in the conduct of the investigation into the murder of Haresh Singh.
Hughes said too that the issuance of a press release by the Guyana Police force in which they classified the alibi witnesses as criminals who had attempted to pervert the course of justice before they had even spoken with any of them or investigated their alibi statements, speaks volumes of the interest of the organisation in conducting a fair investigation into the murder of Haresh Singh.
“It is now evidence that the GPF is either not disposed to or capable of conducting a fair or reliable investigation based on forensic evidence, into either the murder of Haresh Singh or the murders of Isiah and Joel Henry. The dedication of between fifteen to twenty CID police officers to video record, interview and follow the every action and interaction of six female alibi witnesses whilst in custody for in excess of six and half hours on a Friday afternoon indicates the priority of arresting and intimidating six women who have all confirmed their alibi statements about the location of Gladston Henry.
The families of Isiaah, Joel and Gladston Henry have lost all confidence in the Guyana Police Force and their ability to fairly and competently conduct investigate and prosecute the savage murders of Isaiah Henry and Joel Henry as well as the murder of Haresh Singh,” Hughes said in his statement.
Response to the Police Press Release.
The statements of the GPF along with the attached photographs which display Detective Serabo at the post mortem have been noted and reference is made to them.
The entire Postmortem of Isaiah and Joel Henry was Video recorded and transmitted by Attorney at law Patrice Henry on the instructions of Gladston Henry on the 9th day of September 2020. A copy of video of the post mortem recorded by Patrice Henry is attached.
The live recording of the post mortem by Patrice henry was watched by the persons who were at the home of Gladston and Patricia Henry on the 9th day of September 2020.
On the 1st day of July 2021 prior to the commencement of the Press Conference Patricia Henry provide a further statement in which she described the clothing Serabo had on in the following terms at paragraph 4 of her statement “ Serbao wore a light blue short sleeved shirt , black pants and sneakers”.
At the time she issued the statement Mrs. Patricia Henry had not and could not have seen the police photographed issued later in the day after the press conference.
The photograph issued by the GPF confirms the description of the clothing worn by officer Serabo on the 9th September 2021 as described by Mrs Patricia Henry
Both Biobi Shaheman and Claudette Kurtzious have confirmed that they relatives have informed them that at no time did any police officer attend their premises in search of them.
Chronology of events.
Thursday 24th or Friday 25th June 2021 Guyana Police Force issue a wanted bulletin for Gladston Henry for the murder of Haresh Singh.
Saturday the 26th June 2021 Gladston Henry in the company of his parents Gladston Snr and Patricia Henry as well as two Attorneys at law attend the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Police Headquarters Eve Learyat 1.30 PM.
Gladston Henry is arrested and detained.
Gladston Henry and the Attorneys at law are informed that the investigation team are in the West Coast Berbice and are expected to return later in the afternoon.
Around 6.00 PM Attorney C.A. Nigel Hughes ( Hughes) is informed by phone that the investigation team has returned and that they would like to interview Gladston Henry.
Attorneys Hughes and Kiswana Jefford ( Jefford) attend the CID Eve Leary around 6.30 PM
Gladston Henry is questioned in the presence of his Attorneys by Detectives Anys and Da Silva. He exercised his right to remain silent.
At the conclusion of the interview Attorney Hughes informs both Detectives Anys and Da Silva that there are several eye witnesses who have confirmed that Gladston Henry was at his parents home at the time of the murder. Attorney Hughes inquires whether the Police would like the witnesses brought to the Police Station to give statements or whether he should take the statements and submit them. Detective D Silva informs the Attorneys that he would have to seek instructions from his superiors.
On Sunday the 27th June 2021 at around 6.30 PM Attorney Hughes is informed that the GPF would like to conduct a second interview with Gladston Henry.
Attorney Hughes and Jefford attend the CID HQ where a video recorded interview is conducted by Detectives Da Silva and Anys. During the course of the interview Detective Anys presents a written statement from Philip Anderson to Gladston Henry who exercises his right to remain silent.
At the conclusion of the interview Attorney Hughes again informs the detectives that there are several eye witnesses who could confirm the presence of Gladston henry at his parents home at the time of the murder of Haresh Singh. He agin inquires whether the GPF would like to have the witnesses attend CIDHQ or whether he should take and submit the witness statements. Officer D silva informs Attorney Hughes that he has notyet gotten instructions from his superiors and that he will inquire again and revert to Attorney Hughes.
On the way out of CID HQ Attorney Hughes speaks with Superintendent Ceasar about whether he should have the alibi witnesses attend CID HQ or whether he should submit their witness statements.
Superindenent Ceaser informs Attorney Hughes in the presence of Attorney Jefford that Attorney Hughes should take the statements and submit them to the GPF.
On Monday the 28th June 2021 ten (10) female witnesses attend the Offices of Hughes, Fields and Stoby where they are interviewed by several attorneys about their whereabouts on the 9th day of September 2020. Each witness provides a statement in which they all confirm that Gladston Henry was at the family home for the entire 9th September 2020 as this was the day of the post mortem of Isaiah Henry and Joel Henry.
The witnesses in their statements further confirm that they were watching extracts from the post mortem as it was streamed that morning and that they were all there when they received news of the death of Haresh Singh.
On the 28th June 2021 the ten statements taken from the witnesses are submitted by Attorney Hughes to CID HQ where they were received and signed for.
On Tuesday 29th June 2021 Attorney Hughes and Attorney Leander email the DPP informing her of the submissions of the ten alibi statements to the GPF.
On the 29th June 2021 Gladston Henry and three others including Philip Anderson are jointly charged with the murder of Haresh Singh. The charges were filed in West Berbice and no notification of the filing of the charges was given either to Gladston Henry, his parents or his attorneys at law.
No contact was made by any police officer with any of the witnesses prior to the filing of the charges against Gladston Henry and no contact was made with any of them prior to their attending the Police station on Friday the 2nd July 2021
On Thursday the 1st July 2021 a Press Conference hosted by Attorney at Law Hughes is held . the press conference is attended by the ten witnesses who all confirm that Gladston Henry was at his parents’ home on the 9th day of September 2020 and that they all observed that he never left his parents’ home.
They further stated that two police officer Detective Serabo and an Indian police officer attended the home of Gladston and Patricia Henry during the course of the morning where they spoke with Patricia Henry and departed. Copies of the statements were provided to the Press.
Further statements of the ten eye witnesses were submitted to the Guyana Police Force in which the witnesses specifically confirm that Officer Serabo and an Indian officer attended the home of Gladston and Patricia Henry when Gladston Henry was present.
Later on during the day of the press conference the GPF issued a Press Release in which they claimed inter alia that Gladston Henry was not video streaming the post mortem, that there was no video streaming of the post mortem and that Detective Serabo was at the post mortem. The statement also said that the police had attended the homes of Claudette Krttzious and Bibi Shaheman and they were unable to contact them.
They further stated that all the eye witnesses were wanted for perverting the course of Justice.
The following day Friday 2nd July 2021 six of the ten eye witnesses attend the CID HQ accompanied by three attorneys at law for the purpose of confirming the contents of their statements which were previously submitted.
Upon arrival at Eve Leary they were met on the road by about ten to fifteen police officers all holding cameras who continuously video recorded every movement of the six women for the next six and a half hours.
The six women were all arrested upon their arrival at Eve Leary.
Each woman was interviewed in a video recorded interview in which they each vigorously maintained the contents of the statements which they had earlier provided to the police.
During the six hour period while they were detained every movement including their movements to the rest rooms and their consultations with Counsel were video recorded.
During the period of her detention Patricia Henry lost consciousness at least twice.
At 6.30 they were informed that they were admitted to bail in the sum of $100,000.00 each.
Attorney Hughes informed the officer that raising bail in that sum was an almost impossible task as five of the six women were unemployed, one was a retired cane harvester and the ability to raise that sum in cash in Georgetown at that hour in the evening was an impossible task.
Five of the six women were taken to the east La pentice police station including Patricia Henry and the retired cane harvester who is a grandmother.
Through the efforts of their families and kind friends all the women were released at 11.30 PM.
They are each required to return to the CID HQ on Tuesday at 9.00 AM.