…Mother expresses frustration in slothfulness of Cops in solving son’s murder almost 1 year ago
By Kizzy Coleman
The mother of 15-year-old Ricardo Singh, who was found lying in a gutter with a stab wound to his body at Soesdyke, East Bank Demerara (EBD), on July 9, 2018, has renewed her call for justice to be served almost one year after the incident.
Singh, called “Cardo” of Diamond, EBD, a former student of the Diamond Secondary School was reportedly arrested by members of a Community Policing Group (CPG) after he was involved in a brawl at a wedding house in Soesdyke.
Reports surrounding the incident indicate that the teen had left home to hang out with friends at the Linden-Soesdyke Highway junction but, however, journeyed to the wedding house which was a short distance away.
Whilst there, a gang of men attempted to rob the now dead teen’s friend of a gold chain that he was wearing and cash, which caused Singh to intervene.
A huge fight broke out which was caught on camera, showing the teen and a group of others involved in a fight.
The footage, which was seen by Guyana Times International, showed two young men throwing bottles in the direction of the group that Singh was a part of.
However, shortly after, a police pick-up pulled up to the scene and a Rural Constable, later identified as 28-year-old Troy George, was seen wrestling with Singh before he was thrown into the tray of the vehicle.
George climbed in after the teen and the vehicle quickly sped away, reportedly headed for the Timehri Police Station. That was the last time Singh was seen alive.
Shortly after, the teen was found lying in a gutter with his innards protruding and panting for breath.
According to an eyewitness, who lives close to the scene of the crime, he heard a commotion and upon inspection saw the Policing Group van parked.
As such, he ventured outside and questioned George, who was at the time outside of the vehicle, as to what was transpiring.
“The guy that was outside of the van, he turned to me and he seh well man this man behaving bad at the wedding house and they carrying he to lock he up but he jump off the van and he gone running” the man relayed.
He recalled that he questioned the officer as to which direction the teen had escaped and was pointed in the direction of the wedding house.
“The direction he looked and he point, I see back to the wedding house side, so I looking and I ain’t see nobody from that timings that I heard the van and thing. So I seh nah man, this ain’t looking right so like two to three steps I took headed to the wedding house side and so there I see this person down in this drain, his face down and so on” the man explained.
According to another eyewitness, he parked his vehicle to enter his yard when he saw the police vehicle stop. The man recalled that while looking on, he saw the deceased jump out of the vehicle followed by George.
“The bigger person who was in the back, jumped out and go around to the driver and was talking to the driver. But when this boy jumped out heading back to the wedding house, within like four, five steps, he fell. He get up again, like two, three steps after, he went down again, that happened like three times and that is when the neighbour opposite came out” the man revealed.
He noted that after observing that others came out, he ventured over to the vehicle to make inspections but was surprised when the police vehicle sped away, leaving George at the scene.
“They just drove away. So when we try to figure out what really happening with this young man, when we take him out from the trench and roll him over, then we actually saw what state he was in. One of the neighbours jumped into his car and went to see where the police van went” the man explained.
The eyewitness recounted that shortly after, the police van showed up at the scene with several other police ranks.
“The guy that was at the back, they were holding him so he had to know what was happening” the man speculated.
Three months after the crime, Constable George was taken before the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts after he was charged with the murder of Singh.
Police Prosecutor Simone Payne had contended that the accused and another male Rural Constable were on their way to the police station when George allegedly stopped the vehicle, exited with the teen and reportedly told the driver to leave.
It was further alleged that upon returning with several other officers, the police driver found the teen with a stab wound to the abdomen and George looking on in the presence of residents.
George was remanded to prison on the charge and made two appearances, that is, before the murder charge against him was suddenly withdrawn.
On Sunday, Singh’s mother explained that on November 5, 2018, she and other relatives sat in court for hours awaiting the matter, which was scheduled for hearing, to be called.
However, after noticing that relatives of George, who were always present in court, were not there, they proceeded to question the Police Prosecutor.
It was then that the Singh family was informed that the matter against the accused was withdrawn – an order from the Director of Public Prosecutions office.
This reportedly occurred on October 31, 2018, without any notice being sent to the family.
“The Prosecutor said that he didn’t know what happen, but that the DPP order that the police got to do more investigation” the woman revealed.
The family further proceeded to the Timehri Police Station where they were told by a CID rank that he would be unable to help.
“The man, his name was Singh, he said that he can’t do anything because another rank was in charge when the matter had happened” the woman stated.
The woman and the teen’s father are calling for justice and for their son’s case to be reopened.
“We want the matter to be reopened…this year Cardo would have been writing CXC but he dead and nothing ain’t coming out of the matter! All we want is justice, there are people that know what happen, people that see what happened and up to now the police didn’t interview them…I feel like I have a hole in meh stomach without my child” the grieving mother cried.
The woman revealed that since then, questions directed to the investigating ranks regarding the investigations have not been favourable.
This newspaper made several attempts to reach out to the Divisional Commander through contact numbers provided by the Police Public Relations Officer, however, all calls went unanswered.
