…but no info provided on documents, exhibits burnt
Approximately $104.391M in equipment was destroyed during the October 2021 fire that destroyed at least 80% of the Brickdam Police Station, Minister of Home Affairs, Robeson Benn told the National Assembly, however, he failed to detail the documents and exhibits that were completely and partially destroyed in the blaze.
The Home Affairs Minister, in his written response, was responding to questions posed by A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) Geeta Chandan-Edmond.
MP Chandan-Edmond had asked the Home Affairs Minister to provide a detailed breakdown of all equipment, vehicles, documents and exhibits completely and partially destroyed in the Brickdam fire.
According to Minister Benn, a single vehicle, a bus valued $4.5M, was destroyed in the fire. The other equipment and materials include 20 laptops with a total value of $5M, 43 complete computer set valued $10.750M, 36 body cameras valued $2.520M, 2 digital recorders valued $2.4M, 1 crime scene kit valued $390,000, 1 finger print kit valued $390,000, 52 handcuffs valued $1.560M, 34 foot cuffs valued $1.496M, one 100 Port PBX System valued $1.1M, 28 LED Security Lights valued $1.120M, one IVS Video Surveillance System valued $2.1M, one CCTV system valued $2.4M, 30 AC units valued $9.6M, and 40 LTE Radio Handheld Sets valued $4.8M.
Other items include desks and chairs, bed frames, mattresses, freezers, microwaves, fans, photocopy machines, projectors, water dispensers, water tanks, water pumps, network switches, benders and stoves among other items.
However, while Minister Benn listed a number of items, he did not provide information on documents and exhibits destroyed during the fire. Further, he failed to disclose the plans in place to reconstruct documents, and replace the other items.
A prisoner, Clarence Greene has been charged for causing the fire based confession, however, through his attorney, he denied confessing to the crime.
The fire reportedly started in the Fraud Department, which was housed in the Administrative Building of the Brickdam Police Station. That building is reportedly one and a half feet from the Lockups, where Greene was detained.
