Did Commander Hicken really had a gun? – more conflicting statements

Whether or not Former Police Commander of the E&F Division, senior superintendent Clifton Hicken had a gun on July 18, 2012 when three protesters were shot dead at the Wismar/McKenzie Bride during a protest, is still to be made clear.

Last week during the Commission of Inquiry into the shooting APNU region ten regional deomcratic councillor Gordon Callendar said that he saw Hicken with a gun leading ranks towards the bridge shortly before the fatal shooting.

According to Callendar, the weapon was wrapped in a piece of newspaper, with only the tip of the nozzle showing. “It had a colour… a little rusty.. When I say rusty…. The color changing…sir he had the paper roll up…. And he in front and advancing….I may not hold it the exact way…the newspaper in his hand and the mouth of the weapon was showing out the mouth of the paper sir” Callendar recalled.

On Thursday, when General Secretary of the Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC) Lincoln Lewis  took the stand, he said he saw Hicken with a weapon concealed in  newspaper, however the problem was his story was not the same as Callendar

“My testimony is that I saw Mr. Hicken at the corner with the newspaper with the gun… he walk behind be he passed me when, I was at the back of the bus that’s what I said ” Lewis claimed, however he saw a different gun from Callendar since he claimed the weapon was shine.

His location of Hicken was also different from that of Callendar’s.

Lewis also told the commissioners that anyone else looking at the firearm would have thought it was a bottle.

The trade unionist also defended made clear that the protestors were wrong to block the bridge taking into consideration the bridge history in the community’s development.

The hearing continues on Monday.