OFFICE OF PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITY INVESTIGATING DEATH OF MAHAICONY PROMOTER

OPR still collecting statements as man is buried
-Mahaicony fatal plunge

BY DEVI SEITARAM

The body of 30- yearold Godwin Maxwell, who jumped into the Mahaicony River after attempting to escape lawful custody, was laid to rest on Friday, even as investigations into the ethical behaviour of the policeman who had fired a shot at him are ongoing.

According to police Public Relations Officer Ivelaw Whitaker, the investigation is still ongoing, and he could not make any statements at the time, since this may prejudice the investigation.
Presently, he said, statements are being taken from witnesses to determine exactly what happened. When asked whether the officer in question acted in accordance with standard operating procedures, Whitaker said all he knew of the incident was that the man ran away from the bench and the police gave chase and fired a shot in the process. After that, the victim plunged into the river.

The post- mortem examination showed that Maxwell died from blunt trauma to the head and drowning.

Meanwhile, Divisional Commander Gavin Primo also said he could not pronounce on the matter as he “ does not know anything, except what is in the newspapers.” Mohamed Jameer, the head of the Office of Professional Responsibility ( OPR), which is investigating the custody and handling of the prisoner, in an interview said that statements are still being taken. A formal report will be submitted to the Director of Public Prosecution ( DPP), based on findings of the investigations.

The family of Maxwell is still up in arms over the circumstances surrounding the man’s death. On Wednesday, after the man’s bloated body was found in a decomposing state, an uncle, Wilbert Inniss, speaking to the Guyana Times at the Georgetown Mortuary, said that if the police had dealt with his nephew in a better manner, he would still have been alive today. According to the man, the police acted unprofessionally.

“ The one that shoot could have acted with more restraint. They fired bullets after he when they could’ve come to his rescue.” The uncle further added that the family is relying on the OPR to deal with the offi - cer. “ Even if a man is a criminal, it is the responsibility of the state to protect that prisoner; my nephew was no criminal; he ( policeman) acted unwisely.” Maxwell had appeared at the Mahaicony Magistrate’s Court to answer to nine charges of tax evasion and received bail in the sum of $ 45,000.

However, while police were preparing to process Maxwell, who was sitting on the prisoner’s bench, the man made a bid to escape and eventually plunged into the river. His body was found on Wednesday, a mile away from the police station.

TAKEN FROM GUYANA TIMES SEPT 04 2010.