The government is facing serious questions
following reports that a senior administration
official has been in close contact with members of a
squad said to be responsible for numerous executions
over the last year.
These revelations have come to light after a man,
who says he was once an informant for what has become
known as the 'phantom group' and used his own
money to gather information, delivered the names of
the official and other persons with links to the
execution squad to the United States Embassy. He now
fears for his life and told Stabroek News yesterday
the group has been constantly monitoring his
activities and made at least one attempt to kill him.
The US Embassy yesterday confirmed that statements
were given to embassy officials but could not divulge
any details.
When asked about these developments yesterday,
Prime Minister Sam Hinds, performing the functions of
President said: "I am very sure that the reports
[linking a top Government official with the death
squad] have been seen and noted ...[And] the people
specifically involved are taking note of the
statements being made."
The government official has been singled out as
having been deeply involved in the activities of the
squad which also has ties to several businessmen in
the city who have been funding their activities.
Although the informant did not detail the exact
extent of police involvement, he told Stabroek News in
an interview yesterday that several members of the
force were involved in the group's activities.
Telephone records, which Stabroek News has seen,
indicate that a suspected key gang member Axel
Williams, who was killed on December 10 in Bel Air in
a well organised hit, made several calls to a ministry
and to the residence of an official at the ministry.
This newspaper has seen records of calls made to
Williams' cell phone including three on November 24,
from a number said to be from the official's residence
as well as more than a dozen calls from a number whose
first three digits are 999 - a number apparently
assigned for special purposes.
Since the third quarter of 2002 - when Guyana's
crime rate skyrocketed after the escape of five
dangerous criminals from the Camp Street Prison -
there have been numerous killings that have been
attributed to this execution squad and others.
The man said "the atrocities" carried out
by criminals during the crime wave in 2002 had
inspired his involvement as an informant but he added
that this was the full extent of his participation in
the group's activities.
He said he was responsible for the collection of
intelligence for the group, often locating criminals
whom the group was targeting.
Several wanted men were killed under mysterious but
very similar circumstances, and despite this some law
enforcement and government officials continued to deny
the existence of such squads. The informant indicated
that he was instrumental in locating several most
wanted prisoners who were later killed in police
sieges.
But after the elimination of the criminals that had
been its targets, the ex-informant says the group
began to carry out executions for people who were
willing to pay for their services. The man also
identified to embassy officials a spot in the city,
where people who were abducted by the group were
tortured. Although by this time he had left the group,
he was still critical of their activities. This
included several killings that continued even after
the death of escapee Shawn Brown.
"I told the [official] about the killings over
and over," the man said yesterday...
"He said he would `look into it.'"
"Those men killing people all over and some a
dem innocent, if a man jam you car and you want he
dead all you have to do is pay dem men."
But instead, for his criticism of the group's
activities, the man said he became a target as his
concerns were filtered back to the squad. He said he
was even placed under surveillance by some of the
gunmen, who would park their cars along his street,
watching his house.
But it was the most recent execution in the city,
that of Shafeek
Bacchus, who was gunned down on Monday
in front of his Princes Street home, which prompted
the former informant to speak out.
The man believes he was the intended target of that
hit and knows at least two men who he says were part
of the group that carried out the murder. He has given
a statement to police with this information.
The man said on Monday night he contacted the
senior government official twice, who promised that an
investigation would be done.
On Tuesday morning, in the company of his lawyer,
the man visited the US Embassy, where he provided
officials with a detailed statement about the
activities of the group and individuals with
connections to their activities. These individuals,
who include ironically enough, an undertaker, as well
as several other prominent businessmen involved in the
currency exchange and entertainment industry, among
others, provided the squad with financial support and
even technical support in the form of weapons and
vehicles. He said the vehicles were regularly
repainted and licence plates changed within a day.
Describing the members of the squad the man said
some of them are neatly dressed and driving "big
fancy vehicles". According to him the men are
given access to vehicles owned by the persons whose
"backs deh watching".
Asked about whether he was fearful for his life the
man said,
"How can you feel safe when you have guns
pointed at you all the time...? But I am not afraid
...I will speak out and something will have to be
done."
The man lamented that he does not even trust
members of the force since he does not know who is
who.
And what does he hope to gain from going to the US
embassy? The man says he is not really sure but said
he trusted the officials and know they would
investigate thoroughly. He has also contacted Amnesty
International and hopes to get some assistance from
that organisation.