HGP NIGHTLY NEWS – Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed is questioning the police operation that resulted in him and two aides spending 81 hours in custody before being charged, releasing CCTV footage which he says raises serious questions about how the October 12 encounter unfolded.
Mohamed, along with Eugene Thorne and Mario Mohamed, was detained following the controversial shooting incident involving Senior Superintendent Prem Narine.
The three remained in police custody for approximately three days before being charged with unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition and attempting to obstruct the course of justice.
They have pleaded not guilty and were granted bail on October 16 at $250,000 on each of the three charges, amounting to $750,000 each.
But Mohamed is now using surveillance footage from the night of the incident to challenge the circumstances surrounding the police operation that ultimately resulted in their arrest and prosecution.
During a two-hour press conference on Monday, the Opposition Leader walked reporters through several recordings which he said captured portions of his movements before the shooting and the subsequent interception of his vehicle.
Mohamed maintains that his vehicle passed Senior Superintendent Narine’s Barr Street residence twice.
He said that on the second occasion, his team was attempting to record what he considered an unusually heavy deployment of police resources outside the Special Branch Head’s residence.
Mohamed alleged that between five and seven shots were then fired at his vehicle as it travelled away from the area, with three rounds allegedly striking the car.
The vehicle was later intercepted at Sandy Babb Street and Vlissengen Road.
Mohamed used CCTV from that location to dispute aspects of the account previously given about the encounter.
Among other things, he challenged where he was reportedly seated inside the vehicle, pointing to footage which he said showed him in the front passenger seat.
He also alleged that the recordings showed Narine emerging from a police vehicle with a firearm.
Mohamed maintains that what occurred that night amounted to an attempt on his life and has announced plans to pursue private criminal charges against Narine and other ranks he alleges were involved.
Those are Mohamed’s allegations and have not been established by a court.
The CCTV recordings he presented have also not been independently authenticated or subjected to a publicly disclosed forensic examination.
The criminal case against Mohamed, Thorne and Mario Mohamed remains before the court, while key questions surrounding the complete CCTV record, ballistic evidence and the discharge of firearms remain unresolved.
