Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum has clarified that the files relating to the Haresh Singh murder case are not missing but rather, the investigators were doing some additional work, resulting in the police prosecutor being unable to present them in court on Monday.
Reports indicated that when the murder case came up for hearing on Monday at the Blairmont Magistrate’s Court, the police prosecutor reportedly informed that the files relating to the matter cannot be located.
In fact, Attorney Nigel Hughes, who had represented one of the accused in the case, told this publication that: “The prosecution did not have their files, I don’t know if they are missing…what they said is that they didn’t know where they were, that’s what they reported to the court.”
But Blanhum clarified to INews that the files were in the possession of the detectives who were doing some additional work.
“This is not a strange occurrence. On a daily basis, in the criminal court, once a file is being completed by the investigators, it remains in possession of the investigators. Upon completion, it is then forwarded to the court prosecutors for court presentation,” he explained.
He said the files have since been handed over to the Police Legal Advisor. Blanhum went on to criticise the reporting on the situation, noting that the allegations are getting more “outrageous by the day”.
“It is part of a campaign and also a pathetic attempt to cast aspersions and smear the good name and reputation of members of the GPF,” he posited.
Those who are charged for the murder of Haresh Singh are Philip Anderson called ‘Ratman’, 29, of Number Three Village; Joel Gittins called ‘Bolo’, 27, of Jangotown, East Coast Demerara (ECD); Gladston Henry called Gladwin Henry, aka ‘Soldierman’, 27 of Number Three Village; and Charles Scott called ‘Bucko’, 21, of Rosignol, Berbice.
The charge was first read on June 29 to the accused by Magistrate Peter Hugh at Fort Wellington Magistrate Court virtually. They were not required to plead and they were remanded to prison.
The case was then transferred to the Blairmont Magistrate Court for report on July 12. The matter has now been adjourned to July 19.
Singh’s body was found on September 9, 2020, three days after the badly chopped bodies of Isaiah and Joel Henry were found.
