‘Lucky break’ leads cops to Crum Ewing’s killers

Jul 19, 2015 News

– Ramjattan “absolutely confident” case will be solved

A ‘lucky break’ led police to the individuals behind the assassination of political activist Courtney Crum Ewing, and Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan, declared, yesterday, that he is “absolutely confident” that the case will be solved.
Ramjattan’s comments came a day after Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum revealed that police had made an arrest in the assassination, which occurred some four months ago.
“I am absolutely confident that it will be solved, based on information that was given to me by the Crime Chief (Wendell Blanhum),” he told Kaieteur News.
Like the Crime Chief, Minister Ramjattan declined to provide details due to the sensitive nature of the case, but stated that police received “a really lucky break”       in their investigation.
While police remain tight-lipped about the evidence they have gathered, Kaieteur News understands that police ballistics experts have matched a .32 pistol in their possession to the gun that was used in the assassination of political activist Courtney Crum-Ewing.

Courtney Crum-Ewing

It is unclear where the firearm was found, though Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum confirmed on Friday that ranks from the Major Crime Investigation Unit had conducted an “intensive interview” with a suspect, who was detained.
Some reports indicate that police had detained an individual who was also considered a prime suspect in the murder of a policeman last year. But other sources said that this individual was questioned and released after he had turned up with an Attorney and that another individual was held.
Crime Chief Blanhum had also described the arrest as “a significant development,” but declined to disclose the identity of the detained man or say whether leads are pointing to a political motive.
Crum-Ewing, a former Queen’s College student and army officer, was riddled with bullets on the evening of Tuesday March 10, 2015, as he stood on Third Avenue in the Diamond New Scheme.
A post mortem revealed that he was shot thrice in the head and twice in the chest.
His assassination occurred as he used a bullhorn while advocating for persons in the Diamond New Scheme, East Bank Demerara, area to support A Partnership for National Unity and Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) coalition in the May 11 General Elections.
This had prompted many to suggest that his murder was being politically motivated.
Police had stated that Crum-Ewing was accosted by four men in a car, one of whom discharged several rounds, hitting him about his body.
Detectives had also heard that the activist had a brief verbal confrontation with the alleged killer before he was shot.
Crum-Ewing’s relatives have alleged that he had complained twice of receiving threats. This occurred when the 40-year-old ex-army officer began staging his one-man protests, lasting some 80 days, outside Attorney General (AG), Anil Nandlall’s Carmichael Street office, while urging the Attorney General to resign in the wake of a recorded telephone conversation between himself and a Kaieteur News journalist.
The first threat was reportedly made by an individual, who allegedly drove up to Crum-Ewing and said: “Anil ain’t going nowhere, so you better go or else…”
On another occasion, he was reportedly told: “Crum-Ewing, you don’t mean to stop this stupidness?” They said that the protestor had reported these threats to the police and identified one of the individuals, but no action was taken.
Crum-Ewing’s minibus was also vandalized.