MEMBERS OF of the police force and the army involved in last Thursday’s operation in East Kirkland Heights, which ended in the death of businessman Keith Clarke, have been taken off front-line duties.
In a joint release yesterday, Police Commissioner Owen Ellington and head of the Jamaica Defence Force Major General Stewart Saunders expressed regret at the death of the businessman and the other persons killed since operations were launched to capture Christopher ‘Dudus’ Coke.
“The Police High Command wishes to assure the family, relatives, friends and colleagues of Mr Clarke and the entire nation, that a swift, thorough and professional investigation will be conducted into the matter so that the truth will be exposed and appropriate action taken,” Ellington said.
He said investigations into the operation in East Kirkland Heights were progressing well.
lead investigator
“The Bureau of Special Investigations (BSI) has been tasked to conduct the investigation and has assigned the head of the BSI, Assistant Commissioner of Police Granville Gause, to be the lead investigator,” Ellington added in the release.
He said the conduct of the entire operation in East Kirkland Heights was being reviewed.
Keith Clarke – the brother of former government minister Claude Clarke – was fatally shot inside his house in the upscale St Andrew neighbourhood during an operation where members of the security forces had gone in search of Coke.
Four members of the army were reportedly shot in the more-than-two-hour-long shooting incident, but neither Coke nor any of his cronies was held.
In the meantime, the Jamaica Constabulary Force reported yesterday in a media release that a total of 28 guns and 8,800 assorted rounds of ammunition were found in Tivoli Gardens and its environs since the start of the operations last Monday.
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