Sykes questions fairness of investigation involving accused cops; suggests men were targeted
Published:Thursday | November 29, 2018 | 12:00 AMNickoy Wilson/Gleaner Writer
Chief Justice Bryan Sykes has expressed concern about whether the accused policemen who are on trial for the 2011 murder of Andrew Bisson were afforded an objective and fair investigation.
He added that it seemed that the accused were being targeted by the Independent Commission of Investigations (INDECOM).
Yesterday, Sykes told the Home Circuit Court, in the absence of the jury, that he first became concerned on Tuesday when accused Detective Corporal Kevin Adams and District Constable Howard Brown were identified as 'Gaza Man' and 'Chucky', respectively, by a Crown witness.
That same witness on Wednesday admitted that it was a mistake.
The chief justice also said that the fact that the witness lied to INDECOM about his real name for seven years but a few weeks ago decided to be truthful also raised suspicions.
His suspicions were further heightened when a former inspector in the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) responded to questions posed by attorney Dwight Reece, on whether 'Chucky' and another policeman whose alias is 'Gaza Man' were apart of an operation carried out in the Corn Piece district in Hayes, Clarendon, on September 5, 2011, in which Bisson was killed.
Reece is said to have been referencing a statement the former inspector made to INDECOM, where he told them that 'Chucky' and 'Gaza Man' were not part of the operation.
EVIDENCE UNAVAILABLE TO THE COURT
The former police inspector told the court that upon receiving information, he and a team of 11 other police officers, which included the accused Adams, Bucknor, and Howard Brown, proceeded to a location in the Corn Piece district on the day of the operation.
Upon their arrival at the scene at about 4:30 p.m., they made their way to a board house, where they saw several men standing in and outside of the house. The former inspector said he shouted "Police!" and instructed the men to move away from the board house. The former police officer said he instructed the accused to "clear the house", which means to ensure that no one was left inside.
He testified that shortly after the men entered the house, he heard several explosions. He told the court that he went to see what had happened and observed Bisson's body on the ground near the back door, with a gun close by his body.
Yesterday, it was revealed that evidence in the form of two spent shells collected from the murder scene as well swabs taken from Bisson's dead body at a morgue soon after the incident were unavailable to the court.
The trial has been adjourned until next Thursday due to the unavailability of Justice Sykes.