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Shawn Hinds claims he was hired to kill Journalist Ronald Waddell … says two Police officers beat him to ‘hit’

Self-professed former Death Squad member Shawn Hinds
Self-professed former Death Squad member Shawn Hinds

Shawn Hinds claims he was hired to kill Journalist Ronald Waddell … says two Police officers beat him to ‘hit’

 

SOME nine years after the death of Guyanese journalist Ronald Waddell, who was gunned down in front of his home in 2006, self-professed former Death Squad member, Shawn Hinds, has come out to say that he was hired to kill the journalist, but was beaten to the job by two senior Police officers. Waddell met his demise in 2006 after he was gunned down in front of his Bel-Air residence. The Police presented details on the case, but investigations have not borne fruit.

Slain journalist Ronald Waddell

Slain journalist Ronald Waddell

Hinds, in an explosive exclusive interview with HGPTV Nightly News, told anchorman Travis Chase that he was given a contract to murder the now-deceased journalist, who was known at the time for his harsh criticisms of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government in his television programme, ‘Taking Care of Business’. “I deh pun de seawalls looking out for the man, cause I tell them I on the seawalls. They operate like Special Branch,” Hinds told the news agency about the night of Waddell’s murder. “When you feel is you alone got a job, other people got em to.” He recalled that he was in the vicinity of the seawalls when he received a phone call informing him that Waddell was on the move. Hinds then proceeded to Waddell’s Bel-Air residence, but the journalist was gunned down before he got to him. “By de time de man come out de yard. De man ain’t went home, yah know,” Hinds said recalling the night of Waddell’s death, “The man ain’t come from the road. He went in he house and as he come out he yard, a car swing Sherriff Street, a blue 212 swing from Sheriff Street.” Hinds said a round of gunshots was heard, during which he crouched down in his vehicle. Hinds failed to mention who called him informing him of Waddell’s whereabouts, and also who hired him to carry out the acts. He did say however that Waddell was murdered at the hands of two Police officers (whom he named, and one of whom is a retired Assistant Commissioner of Police).

The retired Assistant Police Commissioner has been fingered in a number of other high-profile killings and has been named as being involved in the U.S. visa fraud and the death squad that haunted Guyana after the 2002 jailbreak.

He had also played a leading role in the Target Special Squad of the Guyana Police Force at a time when that unit was named in extra judicial killings and several police abuses. Hinds’ revelations come as Police have issued a wanted bulletin for him. The police have not stated what Hinds is wanted for, but other reports point to a possible link to the death of political activist Courtney Crum-Ewing, who was gunned down in the height of the May 11 elections campaign. Hinds not only denied involvement in the murders of political activist Courtney Crum-Ewing, but also the cold case of the death of the former Agriculture Minister under the People’s Progressive Party/Civic Government, Satyadeow Sawh and members of his family in Sawh’s La Bonne Intention, East Coast Demerara home. (Derwayne Wills)

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Shawn Hinds allegations serious enough for investigation into CID – says Minister Harmon

 

SELF-CONFESSED former ‘Death Squad’ hitman, Shawn Hinds, has called out the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) for allegedly providing his unit with weapons, including machine guns, to carry out killing operations alongside the Police Force.Hinds’ allegations were made in an exclusive interview with HGP Nightly News’ anchorman, Travis Chase. In the Tuesday evening broadcast, Hinds spoke about his involvement in the death squad and the full brunt of the unit’s operations.

Self-professed former Death Squad member Shawn Hinds

Self-professed former Death Squad member Shawn Hinds

In the interview, Hinds recalled allegations made against him years ago about his involvement in a “killing squad.” “I cyan deny duh,” Hinds calmly said before the camera, then went on to defend his involvement in the squad, saying the country would not have had Law and Order if he had not done what he did. Hinds made an effort to clear the air on the Phantom Squad, and the Death Squad which, he said, were two different squads. “I was in the death squad. The boss was a man named Axel Williams, who I worked underneath,” he continued. The former Death Squad member then made a shocking revelation that his squad operated alongside the Police Force, and received resources from the Force for their operations. “The Police was a part of it. We used to get guns from the Police. I used to go and uplift a gun from CID Headquarters, a machine gun.” “We was guided, and been in communication with senior people from CID Headquarters,” Hinds continued. Asked whether he had links to the former People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government, Hinds responded, “I gon tell yah dis. All my orders came from CID Headquarters, and there is evidence to this day.” “I have communication with me and people, saying what they need to be done, and how it need to be done, the kind of guns that need to be used, and what mustn’t be done and how yah muss do it, and doan do dis one like dis, and doan leff he in de streets and dem kinda ting,” Hinds continued. Minster of State, Mr. Joseph Harmon, at a post-Cabinet press briefing yesterday at the Ministry of the Presidency, expressed interest in the statements and the implications of the statements made by the former ‘death squad’ hit man. Harmon recalled his recent words where he told reporters the new Administration will not only be going after the small criminal, but the group which he calls the “intellectual authors” of crimes that pass instructions. “Mr. Hinds’ revelations,” he continued, “in our view, fits into the mould that there are intellectual authors of crime and that, as ‘Mister Hinds’… he had some linkages higher up.” Harmon said the Government would “pursue those statements that have been made by Mister Hinds.” Harmon was asked whether the Police Force’s Criminal Investigation Department would be asked to investigate itself in the allegations made by Hinds.

“You don’t try the devil in hell,” he responded.

“If an allegation is made against the CID, we can’t tell the CID to investigate themselves.”

 

While Minister Harmon expressed some confidence that there is a “fresh CID now that is not tainted with that history,” he said, “The allegations that have been made are serious, and are serious enough for us to launch an independent investigation of the entities that have been named in the statement.”

 

While Hinds has confessed to being involved in a number of other hits, he denied involvement in the death of political activist Courtney Crum-Ewing, who was gunned down in the height of the 2015 elections campaign. The Police have since issued a wanted bulletin for Hinds, urging him to make appearance with a lawyer to the authorities. No indications have been made as to what Hinds was wanted for. Minister Harmon also told the press that the Administration, being concerned with the events of recent, is inviting Hinds to present whatever information he may have leading to solving the major crimes following the May 11 elections results. “We are more interested in what is happening now, and I believe Mr. Hinds can provide us with some linkages [and] … further information that could show us why these crimes that took place recently did take place, and who are the persons actually giving the directions,” Harmon said. While admitting that the Government is not prepared to grant amnesty to Mr. Hinds for any of his information, Minister Harmon said the decision would then fall to the police authorities to decide on such measures. Meanwhile, Minister Harmon made no bones saying that Hinds could face incarceration if found to be involved with criminal activities.

FM

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