By Fareeza Haniff
Courtney Crum – Ewing during one of his many protests.
The Guyana Police Force is investigating a possible political linkage to the gruesome murder of political activist, Courtney Crum-Ewing, who was gunned down on March 10, 2015 at Third Avenue, Diamond Housing Scheme, East Bank Demerara.
After four months, investigators finally made an arrest on Friday and according to Police Commissioner, Seelall Persaud some new evidence has come to light, but he would not reveal the identity of the suspect in custody or where he was arrested so as not to hamper the investigations.
When questioned by reporters on Saturday, July 18 if the suspect is connected in any political way, the Police Commissioner said, “We don’t know that, so we can’t say yes or no.”
He however noted that investigators are probing several theories, including the possibility that the murder was politically motivated given the fact that it occurred close to elections in Guyana.
“There are several lines of inquiry; the proximity of the incident to the election, the time of the incident to the election would have driven one line of inquiry that this thing maybe related to the elections. The fact that it occurred near to the home of a political activist again developed that line of inquiry that not only this thing is related to election but somebody wants to bring a focus to the individual that lives there,” the Top Cop said.
He made it clear however, “that is not saying that any political activists would have had anything to do with it. It might be individuals who think one Party might be advantaged if something like that happened.”
According to the Police Commissioner, detectives met a lot of “dead ends” during their investigation but the new evidence may lead them somewhere. Crum-Ewing was assassinated while urging residents of Diamond to vote for the Opposition Coalition at the just concluded May 11, 2015 general and regional elections.
He was shot five times, including three times to the head at point blank range. The former GDF Solider had staged a protest for several weeks outside the office of then Attorney General, Anil Nandlall between November and December 2014 calling for his resignation following allegations of corruption and threats to journalists.
