AfriKa CRY BLOOD

AS CORONER FAITH MARSHALL-HARRIS prepares to conclude her investigation into the death of 23-year-old I’Akobi Maloney, she has expressed concern about witnesses which the Maloney family want her to summon.

When the inquest continued yesterday, the coroner said she received a request on January 19 from David Comissiong, who is representing the Maloney family, suggesting that she should hear evidence from Trinidadian Adana Jacobs - Maloney’s former girlfriend.

But she stated that she would not be prepared to have Jacobs brought to Barbados unless her evidence was relevant to the case. (more…)

THE POLICE INVESTIGATOR who carried out the investigations into the death of I’Akobi Maloney said yesterday he was not concerned that the statements of the two police officers who were with Maloney when he died, were identical.

Assistant Superintendent Curvan Harvey told the coroner’s inquest investigating the young man’s death that he was more concerned about the typographical errors contained in the statements.

At the time he was being questioned by Andrew Pilgrim who is representing the Maloney family. (more…)

Harvey (centre) leaving the inquest yesterday evening followed by Headley (left) and Walkes. Picture by Sandy Pitt.

Assistant Superintendent of Police Curvan Harvey was grilled by attorney Andrew Pilgrim yesterday when he gave evidence at the Coroner’s Inquest into the death of 23-year-old I’Akobi Maloney.

ASP Harvey was the senior officer who carried out the investigations into the incident. He was questioned extensively about how he conducted the investigations and the statements he obtained, particularly those from the two police officers, Sergeant Wingrove Headley and Constable Wendell Walkes, who were with Maloney when he allegedly jumped off a 50ft cliff at Land Lock, St Lucy.

He was also criticised by the attorney for failing to carry out a scientific examination of the firearms which were issued to the two officers.

I’AKOBI MALONEY was actively searching for another job.

His younger brother, Mandela Maloney, disclosed this at the Coroner’s Inquest into his death on Monday.

He told the court that his brother, who obtained an engineering degree at the St Augustine Campus in Trinidad was “dissatisfied with the conditions at the Arawak Cement Plant” and felt that the conditions there were not challenging enough.

Mandela pointed out that his brother started developing asthma and sinusitis and he believed it was because of the dust at the St Lucy plant. (more…)

AN ATTORNEY has suggested that police officers who were dispatched to Land Lock, St Lucy on the day I’Akobi Maloney died conspired to say they did not see how he died.

Andrew Pilgrim, who is representing the Maloney family, made this comment after Constables Anderson Ellis and Kevin Boyce said they did not focus on Land Lock on June 17, even though they were each in close proximity to the area.

Ellis said he was dispatched to Cove Bay and that he was focussing on a white boat which was out at sea.

He stated that he heard Sergeant Wingrove Headley transmitting on the VHF radio that he had Maloney in custody but he never looked over to Land Lock which was next to Cove Bay because he was busy looking at the boat. (more…)

CORONER Faith Marshall-Harris yesterday appealed to persons who were “sprinkling dust” around the court to desist from this habit.

She made the request when the inquest into the death of I’Akobi Maloney continued yesterday at the Coroners Court.

Stating that she was trying her best to conduct the inquest fairly, Marshall-Harris told the court: “I don’t like it and I wish it would stop, the situation of persons sprinkling dust or whatever it is over the court office. Please desist from doing it. It is defacing and littering Government property. It is not desirable.”

She also asked persons not to bring signs and slogans into the court.

“I do not think it is appropriate. Please let us operate with some degree of professional objectivity,” she stated.

CORONER Faith Marshall-Harris said she summoned two employees at the Arawak Cement Plant to give evidence at the inquest into the death of I’Akobi Maloney because she had been receiving anonymous reports that they were involved in a relationship with the deceased.

Process engineers James Walker and Jason Collymore both gave police statements denying that they were involved in a homosexual relationship with the 23-year-old scholar who police say jumped over a cliff to his death on June 17 last year. (more…)

I’AKOBI MALONEY was yesterday described as very creative, intelligent and someone who was not impulsive.

Best friends Ayesha Delpeche and Renaldo Depeiza both gave evidence at the Coroner’s inquest into the tragic death of the young man.

Delpeche said she had known Maloney for about six years. She said that while he never expressed any concerns about his work to her she was not surprised to learn that he had resigned from his job.

“He was a very creative individual. I know he was interested in exploring creative things and he use to go around people who were poets and musicians”, she stated. (more…)