…chase was unauthorised – source

Law enforcement officers refuse to officially divulge any information about the circumstances surrounding

Dead: Robert Pyle

the death of Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Sergeant Robert Pyle, even as numerous conflicting reports emerge about the covert operation he was involved in at the time of his demise.
Guyana Times understands from sources that Sergeant Pyle was called out to duty on the night of December 30 to engage in a stakeout operation in relation to the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) investigation into the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL).
At the time, he had just picked up his wife, Stacy, from her workplace at the Davis Memorial Hospital and was heading home.
Sources say that Sergeant Pyle immediately took a detour and headed in the direction of NICIL Executive Director Winston Brassington’s Kingston home where another team of special officers were already stationed.
A source explained that Sergeant Pyles was required to report on the movement of any documents or suspicious figures in and out of Brassington’s home. While staking out the property, the Police team noticed a suspicious figure believed to be affiliated with Brassington entering a vehicle. The Police team reportedly began to tail the vehicle – against orders – after it took off.
According to the sources, Sergeant Pyle was never ordered to engage in a high-speed chase.

Dead: Stacy Pyle

The chase led to Carifesta Avenue where the GDF Officer’s vehicle slammed into a canter, resulting in the death of three persons.
The source revealed to this newspaper that there was a third person in Sergeant Pyle’s car and following the collision that person was pulled from the wreckage and rushed to a city hospital.
Guyana Times has made several attempts to contact senior Police officials for clarity on the matter but to no avail.
Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum, when contacted, referred all questions to SOCU Head Sydney James.
When contacted, James’ office informed this newspaper that he was otherwise engaged and would return the call. After several minutes elapsed without receiving the return call, Guyana Times called again, but the calls went unanswered.
GDF Chief-of-Staff, Brigadier Mark Phillips, when contacted, said he did not have any information.
“I cannot confirm anything. It may sound like I am not cooperating with the media, but I am not, I am not in a position to confirm anything. We are still doing our investigation to get down to the bottom of this whole issue,” he said, noting that once the necessary information became available, it would be disseminated to the public.
A Division (Georgetown) Commander Clifton Hicken, when contacted, explained that he was charged with investigating the accident and nothing else. He stated that the initial investigation has been completed and the file would soon be submitted to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
This incident has sparked much controversy and brings to the fore many unanswered questions within the public domain.
People’s Progressive Party (PPP) General Secretary Clement Rohee, during the party’s weekly press conference on Monday, demanded that the relevant authorities come out with a statement on the matter. The Party also demanded to know why there was surveillance on Brassington’s private residence; who authorised the GDF rank to conduct surveillance; who gave political direction to SOCU to conduct surveillance; and who instructed the GDF to assist SOCU in any investigation among other questions.
Further, the PPP expressed that this particular incident resembled several during the Burnham era when the misuse of the security and intelligence community for political purposes was rampant.
Meanwhile, Sergeant Pyle and his wife, along with the driver of the canter, Linden Eastman, were killed following the smash-up on Carifesta Avenue.