Burke to take the stand today
PAUL Burke, the People National Party (PNP) chairman for Region 3, is expected to take the stand today as the Commission of Inquiry into last July’s violence in West Kingston continues at the Mutual Life Centre in Kingston.
Burke was summoned to appear at the commission last week, but had his turn at the witness stand postponed as the testimony of South St Andrew Member of Parliament Omar Davies, took longer than expected.
Meanwhile, yesterday’s sitting saw six policemen taking the stand and extracts from various station diaries were admitted into evidence.
The extracts were from entries made during the July 7-10 shoot-out between members of the security forces and gunmen in Western Kingston, where about 27 people, including a policeman and a soldier were shot dead.
Taking the stand were Deputy Superintendent Delroy Hewitt, who is in charge of operations, Western Kingston; Detective Sergeant Lauriston Burton of the Flying Squad; Detective Sergeant Karen Salmon, Elleston Road Criminal Investigation Branch; Sergeant Eli-George Gardener; Senior Superintendent George Williams and Superintendent Ronald Facey who was taking the stand for the fourth time.
Facey, who is in charge of Police Control, returned so that missing pages from manuscripts entered last week could be admitted into evidence.