AfriKa CRY BLOOD

The question of how I’Akobi met his death has still been left unanswered after approximately 10 months of deliberations both inside and out of court. Although the coroner had dismissed the idea of I’Akobi going to the cliff with the intention of taking his own life, the verdict of misadventure is still debatable.

In her context it was defined as the act of running from the police which inadvertently resulted in his death. Our family vehemently refutes the coroner’s claim in this regard; as the act of running towards what the police perceived to be a 60 ft. drop head first with hands outstretched in this ‘mad’ dash for freedom quintessentially describes the act of suicide.

Although the coroner removed the police’s postulations of why he had taken his life that being (depression, homosexuality, madness and drug association), she inadvertently or intentionally accepted the single report submitted by Headley and Walkes as the irrevocable truth. (more…)

by Maria Bradshaw

THERE MUST BE a full and lawful recognition of the Rastafarian faith if there is to be mutual respect between them and the police.

And this recognition must first come from Government, said secretary of the Justice Committee, Ras KudosSage I.

He was responding to coroner Faith Marshall-Harris’ observation that there was a high level of mistrust between Rastafarians and the police and her call for the Royal Barbados Police Force to examine its relationship with members of the Rastafarian community.

“The first tangible way would be to have the state make some official recognition of Rastafari as a legitimate religious body as is being done in the United States, Jamaica, Italy and other countries.

“That is where everything originates because the ones with the authority tend to neglect the rights of Rastafari and how we worship and practise,” KudosSage argued. (more…)

by TIM SLINGER

Commissioner of Police Darwin Dottin

COMMISSIONER OF POLICE Darwin Dottin says he’s willing to meet with the Rastafarian community to discuss any problems the group might be facing.

But he wants them and Barbados alike to know that the Royal Barbados Police Force does not engage in singling out any particular group, regardless of race, colour or creed.

“I want to state categorically that the Police Force does not enforce the law by targeting any groups. We carry out our duties without fear or favour and with sensitivity,” Dottin told the SUNDAY SUN yesterday.

He was reacting to charges from the Rastafarian community that dreadlocked I’Akobi Maloney met his death through police profiling.

On Friday, Coroner Faith Marshall-Harris in ruling that the 23-year-old Barbados Exhibition winner’s death was by misadventure, urged the force to look closely at its relationship with the Rastafarian community, saying there was a high level of mistrust.

To this end, Dottin said the force was willing to meet with the community to discuss any issues of concern. (more…)

The Royal Barbados Police Force needs to look closely at its relationship with the Rastafarian community.

This recommendation came from Coroner Faith Marshall-Harris yesterday as she declared the death of Rastafarian I’Akobi Maloney a misadventure and suggested that he may have felt harassed by the barrage of questions from the police and that he “panicked and made a dash for freedom” when asked to escort them to the station.

The coroner noted that there was a high level of mistrust from the Rastafarian community against the police to the extent that Rastafarians had become paranoid and felt that there were constant forms of victimisation against them, even when that did not exist.

ARMED MEMBERS of the police Task Force were on hand to control the crowd at the Coroner's Court after yesterday's verdict into I'Akobi Maloney's death last year.

Tension

“There seems to be a great deal of tension, fear, mistrust and suspicion by the Rastafarian community, but by the same token, the community needs to look carefully at some of their actions which suggest that they are harbouring a victim mentality and may be looking for injustice where it is not intended,” said the coroner.

She was also very critical of how the police officers dealt with Maloney’s mother Marguerita Maloney, saying that they had given her incorrect information and that their actions may have led to the confusion she experienced surrounding her son’s death. (MB)

by Barry Alleyne

LEAVE RASTA ALONE!

That was the clear battle-cry from the Rastafarian community yesterday, moments after Coroner Faith Marshall-Harris determined that former Exhibition winner I’Akobi Maloney dies by misadventure last year.

Tension reached fever-pitch in the small courtyard of the Coroner’s Court on Roebuck Street at 5 p.m., when grieving mother Marguerita Maloney exited the court, raised her hands on the air, shouted “misadventure”, then crumpled to the ground before berating a number of police officers regarding their conduct when I’Akobi died on June 17 last year at Landlock, St Lucy.

The mother’s cries only fuelled emotions, as I’Akobi’s father David, and his younger brother Mandela, also started to shout at police officers stationed at the court.

“I have pictures of my son’s body, brutalised, manhandled,” she said.

“I call on the ancestors to deal with all the perpetrators… This is only an earth verdict,” she said before collapsing for a second time.

Sergeant targeted

Most of the insults, however, were hurled at Sergeant Wingrove Headley, one of the two officers who were on hand at Landlock, and alleged that I’Akobi suddenly ran away from their custody, and jumped over a cliff, 50 feet to his death.

A stoic Headley stood outside the court for a few minutes while more than 30 Rastafarians shouted accusations at him.

In a corner, the Maloney’s attorney Andrew Pilgrim broke down in tears, then receded to the empty courtroom, as the grieving mother was comforted by supporters.

At the gate of the court, armed members of the Royal Barbados Police Force’s Task Force stood on watch, automatic weapons at the ready in case of trouble. Inside, uniformed cops quickly escorted the coroner to her private office after the verdict, then told the crowd to leave. It was 5:07 p.m.

The Rastafarian members, all decked out in red, helped Marguerita to her feet, but continued to hurl insults, and vowed the movement would continue to seek justice.

“This is not the end. This verdict is not the end. This is just the beginning. This is the straw that broke the camel’s back,” father David screamed, whilst pointing and waving a flag of Ethiopia. (more…)

by Maria Bradshaw

I’AKOBI MALONEY was not killed by police, neither did he commit suicide. His death was ruled a misadventure.

SERGEANT WINGROVE HEADLEY (right) being escorted into the officer of the Coroner's Court by uniformed officers yesterday.

Coroner Faith Marshall-Harris handed down this decision yesterday six months after the start of the inquiry into the death of the 23-year-old Exhibition winner whom police said jumped off a 50-ft cliff at Landlock, St Lucy, last June 17, as he was about to be escorted to the Holetown Police Station.

The coroner found there was no evidence to substantiate that Maloney had been unlawfully killed by the police or that he committed suicide.

She surmised that Maloney, a Rastafarian, may have felt some form of harassment when the police requested that he accompany them to the station and so “he panicked and made a sudden dash for freedom”.

But while the coroner cited the mutual distrust between the Rastafarian community and the police and called for improved relations between the two, the verdict was not accepted by the many Rastafarian brethren who turned out yesterday.

They gathered in the courtyard surrounding Maloney’s grieving mother, Marguerita, and let it be known that there would be no peace between them and the police.

Marshall-Harris spent close to two hours reviewing the case and analysing the evidence. (more…)

by Heather Greenidge

TO screams of “Murderer”, “You kill my son”, “Dis is just de beginning”, was how the Coroner’s verdict of “death by misadventure” was greeted yesterday by Marguerita Maloney, mother of I’Akobi Tacuma Maloney, and other relatives and friends.

It was minutes before 5 o’clock when Coroner Faith Marshall-Harris delivered her verdict at the Coroner’s Court, Roebuck Street, St Michael, packed with Maloney’s relatives and friends including his mother and brother, Mandela.

After the Coroner left the courtroom and returned to her chambers, Maloney’s mother and others re-joined the Rastafarian brethren in the courtyard which included his father, David.

Dozens had earlier lined the courtyard but had to remain outside during the verdict for lack of space.

Pointing and calling names of the two officers who were first on the scene at Landlock, St Lucy, where the 23-year-old chemical engineer died on June 17, 2008, Marguerita told Sergeant Wingrove Headley and Police Constable Wendell Walkes… “De inquest end, but dis is just de beginning. De Rasta brethren gine get you.” (more…)

Marguerita Maloney, mother of I'Akobi Maloney, being held up by supporters as she mourns the verdict of the inquest into her son's death. (Pictures by Donnay Deane)

I’AKOBI MALONEY’S death was a misadventure.

That was the verdict arrived at by coroner Faith Marshall-Harris at 5 p.m. this afternoon in the controversial case of the 23 year-old Rastafarian. a former Barbados Exhibitioner who allegedly jumped off a 50 ft cliff at the secluded land Lock, St Lucy, last July 17, while being escorted to the station by two police officers.

Ruling out an open verdict and death by suicide, the Magistrate surmised that Maloney may have felt some form of harassment from the police officers, especially when they requested that he accompany them to the station and that “he made a sudden dash for freedom”.

The verdict caused an uproar among family and supporters of the Maloney family who gathered in the courtyard.

I’Akobi’s grieving mother, Marguerita Maloney exited the court, raised her hands in the air, shouted “misadventure” then crumpled to the ground before berating a number of police officers regarding their conduct when I’Akobi died on June 17 last year at Landlock, St. Lucy.

The mother’s cries only fueled emotions, as I’Akobi’s father David, and his young brother Mandela, also started to shout at police officers stationed at the court.

Only days before the coroner returns her verdict into the unnatural death of 23 year old Chemical Engineer I’Akobi Maloney, representatives of the Justice Committee are questioning the lack of attention given to a petition that was submitted to the Hon Prime Minister David Thompson and the Attorney General Fruendel Stuart.

The petition, submitted prior to the start of the actual inquest in November of 2008, was signed by 5200 Barbadians and called for a private and independent team of investigators to fully examine all of the evidence in the untimely death of the Barbados Exhibition winner. It was hoped that a team or approach in that manner would have the appropriate transparency necessary to adequately rule out any foul play.

From the many calls, letters to the media, and general public conversations it is very clear that there have been a number of questions consistently raised about the case, including some about the status and subsequent impact of the petition.

Ayesha Delpeche, member of the Justice Committee, voiced concern over the lack of communication surrounding the petition.

“Throughout the entire inquest, we have received no reply from either the Prime Minister or the Attorney General. The case of the tragic loss of I’Akobi Maloney has been in the media countless times, brought up in Parliament, and has gained the attention of law schools overseas, yet the petition has not been addressed at all.” (more…)

LEAVING THE COURT: Constable Anthony Walkes, followed by chief investigator into the I’Akobi Maloney death, ASP Curwen Harvey, and Sergeant Wingrove Headley. Walkes and Headley were the two officers who were with Maloney when he allegedly jumped off a cliff.

“WHAT REASON would the police have to harass I’Akobi Maloney? asked police presenter Station Sergeant Martin Jones on Monday when he delivered his address to coroner Faith Marshall-Harris.

“A man who was so intelligent. He was not a criminal. He did not have any convictions. He was not a person who was wanted by the police so we see no reason why the police would go after him,” Jones stated.

He submitted that the reason why Sergeant Wingrove Headley and Constable Anthony Walkes gave their statements 13 days after the incident, was because both officers were traumatised after Maloney pulled away from them and jumped over the cliff.

“They were totally traumatised over what happened on that day. No police officer would have been able to give a statement,” Jones declared, pointing out that the station diary did contain an account of the incident the day after. (more…)

ATTORNEYS Andrew Pilgrim (right) and David Comissiong (second right) speaking to Mandela Maloney, brother of deceased I’Akobi Maloney, as a friend and his mother Marguerita Maloney look on.

DID police officers engage in profiling when they encountered I’Akobi Maloney, a six-foot Rastafarian standing alone on a secluded cliff?

Was there some level of aggression or conflict between them and that Rastaman?

Was he pushed or was he trying to escape?

These were scenarios which attorneys for the Maloney family, Andrew Pilgrim and David Comissiong, submitted to coroner Faith Marshall-Harris during their addresses, when the inquest into the 23 year-old man’s death resumed in the coroner’s court yesterday.

They asked the coroner to reject the evidence of the two police officers Sergeant Wingrove Headley and Constable Anthony Walkes who were with Maloney when he allegedly jumped off a 50-ft cliff to his death.

Comissiong told the court that given that the police had received a report about a boat, a Rastaman and drugs in the area that it was fair to assume they went to Land Lock, St Lucy, “all keyed up”. (more…)