‘Beetham killings not to be buried’ By Alexander Bruzual Monday, October 19 2009
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Eleanor Mauge as she holds the picture of her son Fabian Mauge (left) and Ricky Roberts (right) during a tour held by Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj where th...
Tabaquite MP Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj yesterday vowed to help the families of the two Beetham men who were killed by police last week and said he wants to find out the truth about what happened.
“Are we going to continue like this where police killings take place and no actions are taken or are we going to make a difference and stand for equality and the rule of law?” Maharaj said as he visited the scene where Fabian Mauge, 26, and Ricky Roberts, 25, were shot.
He assured the community that he was not going to let the incident die.
Maharaj explained he was going to use both his legal and political expertise to ensure that an investigation would be conducted into the killings. He told residents that he would be writing a letter to Prime Minister Patrick Manning, requesting an official investigation be launched by the State. Further, he said he would address the issue through a special motion in Parliament.
He pointed out that so far this year there have been 29 killings by police, however no “proper inquiry” has been done into how these killings actually took place.
“Incidents like this, if justice is not done, can create criminals, can create people to be criminals when they see the wrongs which are going on unabated. That is why justice is so important,” Maharaj said. He also explained his “team” would be collecting statements from eye witnesses into the shooting in the coming week, following which he would be writing to the acting Commissioner of Police and the Acting Director of Public Prosecutions, for action to be taken. He said from there if it was proven the two men were killed because of an act of murder or either recklessness or negligence, he would ensure the respective families would receive the appropriate compensation from the State for their loss.
Based on the accounts given to him by Beetham residents, Maharaj condemned the killings of the two young men.
“Whenever ordinary persons are involved in an incident where a murder has occurred, those suspects are immediately arrested and charged. Yet we have 29 killings by police for the year and no police officer has been arrested nor has there been an inquest held to gather judicial findings on what actually transpired,” Maharaj said.
After speaking to the Tabaquite MP, residents of the area continued to proclaim the innocence of the two men, saying they were executed for no reason. They however cautioned the Beetham community to be careful of their actions in the coming weeks.
Roberts’ aunt, Modica Victor, said despite the police killings, residents should not react with bloodshed.
“We don’t want no war, we just want justice. Let Ricky be laid to rest as a human being. We appealing to people not to go out there and make things worse. Two lives already gone we don’t want anymore lost. Don’t go out there and do things to jeopardise anyone else, what is done is done already. That’s it. Let us move on,” Victor said.
Efforts yesterday to reach both Acting Commissioner of Police James Philbert, and Assistant Commissioner of Police, Gilbert Reyes, proved futile despite several attempts.
However Newsday learnt that instructions were given to ASP Leonard Gay of Port-of-Spain CID to carry out investigations and the police are currently taking eyewitness reports.
It was said a report on the events is expected to be handed over soon to Philbert.
