Chief Justice Bryan Sykes today rejected the crown’s application to have a retired police witness be treated as an expert. During a preliminary examination of the witness, it was disclosed that he provided three regular witness statements in the matter.
Justice Sykes says the information provided in the statements does not suggest that the witness would be projected as a gang expert, so he will only be allowed to give evidence as a regular witness. The retired gang investigator interacted with members of the one don Klansman Gang and gave insight into the culture of the alleged criminal enterprise.
The retired police classified the alleged gang as a second or third generation gang that is fully structured and sophisticated in its criminal operations. The retired police witness says he has been a detective for over 29 years.
A trained and certified gang investigator who has probed several gang investigations, to include the Klansman Gang and the one order gang in St. Catherine north, the umbrella gang in St. Catherine south, young generation out of Kingston western and the g-city gang in Trelawny. But his main focus he says was dismantling the Klansman and one order gangs.
He says he has interviewed over 300 members of the klansman gang and he has arrested and charged several of its members. He described the gang as a system where members tend to prey upon themselves – “friend kill friend”. The leader of the gang he says keeps away from these crimes but gives out the instructions.
This he says makes it more difficult to build a case around the leader. The retired detective went further to say the gang has their own justice system, similar to Jamaica’s judicial process.
He explains that they have a place on Martin Street in Spanish Town called judgment yard.” they carry out their trials there and determine what is to happen….if they disobey they will be killed or beaten”. He told the court that the gangsters mostly specialize in extortion and the trafficking of guns, ammunition and marijuana.
He points out that members of the organization tend to form alliances with members of the security forces to get information. The retired police witness said from his interaction with both active and inactive members of the gang he learned how they carried out their extortion of business places.
He said he was told that they would send letters to establishments, offering security and protection, then after seeking a donation for such causes. A threatening telephone to the business owner would then follow. He adds that the gangsters are so sophisticated that they don’t even deliver the letters themselves and the person who delivers the letter doesn’t even know who its coming from. The retired detective will continue giving evidence when the court reconvenes on Wednesday morning at 10.
