OPPOSITION LEADER Edward Seaga has described as "shocking and outrageous" a statement by counsel for the West Kingston Commission of Enquiry, Velma Hylton, that the police should be able to shoot at women and children allegedly shielding gunmen.
"I consider it shocking and outrageous that in her summation Counsel for the Commission, as reported in The Gleaner, made the brutal and inhumane statement suggesting that it is acceptable for the security forces to shoot indiscriminately at unarmed women and children," Mr. Seaga said in an affidavit which he sent to the Commissioners on Monday. Mr. Seaga said that such actions by the police, "which would be murderous actions," could not be condoned under any circumstances whatsoever, "nor should they be encouraged by such statements as made by Commission Counsel."
The affidavit was sent to the Commissioners in response to a number of questions/issues which the Commissioners had referred to Mr. Seaga for clarification, arising out of the evidence given, primarily by members of the security forces, during their enquiry into the July 7-10 operation in his West Kingston constituency which cost 27 lives.
The Opposition Leader also accused Miss Hylton of clear bias in her summation, when she stated that he had failed to use his influence to quell the shooting. He said that if there was any evidence "which could be so interpreted," the Commission-ers in their letters to him seeking clarification would have brought such evidence to his attention. He said that among the 25 civilians who were killed were rural farmers, market vendors and shoppers, a pauper, an alcoholic, a security guard, a handcart man at the market, an 80-year-old man and persons who attempted to get outside their homes to seek food. He denied Miss Hylton's claim that he had carried a camcorder with him on the scene on July 7, stating that neither he nor any member of his party had a camcorder.
"The fact is that I did make efforts to have the Commissioner of Police take effective pre-emptive action to ensure the maintenance of peace and good order as is substantiated by the letters exhibited hereto," Mr. Seaga said. He denied that he had "ordered" Senior Superintendent Reneto Adams to come to him on July 7. He said that he stepped over the legs of one policeman, who was lying prostrate on the ground, to gain access to SSP Adams.
"I asked him (Adams), what was happening? He said he had received information about 'guns hidden at Denham Town Golden Age Home,' and had gone in search. The Golden Age Home was about one mile away from where he was located. I asked if he had found any guns and he replied that one small pistol was found," Mr. Seaga said.
"I asked him what he wished to do now? And he indicated that he would like to go to Area Four Headquarters in a direction through Coronation Market square. In the square there was a crowd, which was agitated waving their arms and shouting.
"Adams said that he would prefer not to go through the crowd. I told him I had come along Marcus Garvey Drive, up along Industrial Terrace and along Spanish Town Road to arrive at the location where we were standing and that route was free of crowds and traffic. He insisted that he wanted to go through Coronation Market square, where the crowd had gathered. I asked him if it would assist him if I were to ask the crowd to move out of the square and he said it would. I then walked towards the crowd which was about 100 yards from where we were.
"I did not offer Mr. Adams 'safe passage.' Indeed, I was not in a position to be able to offer him what he calls 'safe passage' nor as far as I could see was he or any of the policemen with him in need of 'safe passage.' What I offered to do was to assist him to leave the area through the Coronation Market square, as he stated he wished to do, is exactly as I have stated in my affidavit."
Mr. Seaga said that the reason for the crowd's agitation was the fact that two men had been shot and killed by Adams' "squad". He said that he asked the crowd to follow him into Bond Street, "to allow Adams and his squad to pass and they did." The crowd consisted of market vendors from all areas, shoppers and residents of West Kingston.
"There was no gunfire when I was driving to where Adams was located, nor was there any gunfire when I alighted from my vehicle alongside Adams...There was no bulllet marks on the wall behind SSP Adams when I walked up to talk with him and, indeed, there were still no bullet marks on the wall on Tuesday, July 10, 2001 when members of the Private Sector Organisation visited the area with me," Mr. Seaga said.
"I did not have a camcorder with me that day nor did I take any type of photograph. What I did have in my hands was a small pouch, which I generally carry with me, and in which I carry papers including a diary. I had no camera, no camcorder nor did any of my party have any camera or camcorder. "
Mr. Seaga said that during the security forces operation, the residents of Tivoli Gardens could not leave their homes for fear of being shot by snipers of the security forces stationed at every exit/entry point. The same situation prevailed in Denham Town. He said that among the 25 civilians who were shot and killed were, "three rural farmers, four persons of unsound mind, a teenage girl and a teenage boy, a pauper, an 81-year old man, an alcoholic, a shopper from Spanish Town, a security guard on his way to work, a handcart man working in the market and persons who ventured outside their homes for legitimate reasons including the purchase of groceries."
Mr. Seaga supported his affidavit with two letters written to Commissioner of Police Francis Forbes on April 28 and May 8, concerning the death of William "Willie Haggart" Moore, Albert "Blackadouche" Bonner and Noel "Big Bunny" Hines, whose killings on April 18,2001 led to an upsurge in violence in South St. Andrew and West Kingston and calling for increased police numbers in the area.
