AfriKa CRY BLOOD

by Barry Alleyne

THE ROYAL BARBADOS POLICE FORCE has started an official investigation into the behaviour of the Maloney family after a controversial verdict last month by Coroner Faith Marshall-Harris.

Emotions ran high in the courtyard on April 24 after the coroner deemed that the former Barbados Exhibition winner I’Akobi Maloney had died by misadventure at Landlock, St Lucy, last June 17, the same day he resigned from his job as an engineer at the Arawak Cement Plant.

Verbal Insults

Members of the family, along with members of the Rastafarian community, were on hand for the verdict, and a number of verbal insults and threats were allegedly hurled at police on duty in the courtyard.

Sergeant Wingrove Headley, one of the two policemen who were on duty when Maloney died, and who testified that Maloney ran from them and jumped off a 50-foot cliff to his death, was also in the courtyard and was allegedly the subject of insults and threats.

A reliable source informed the WEEKEND NATION that all the police on duty within the confines of the courtyard that day have been required to give official statements to a superior officer, in an effort to determine if any members of the Maloney family, or the Rastafarian community, went too far with their verbal outrage and, in so doing, broke the law.

“We are doing an investigation. I would rather not comment any further,” said Assistant Superintendent Curvan Harvey yesterday, the man in charge of the investigation.

Maloney’s legal team said yesterday the news of such an investigation was disturbing.

The family’s attorney-at-law David Comissiong said: “The family’s legal team has not been informed of any investigation into its [the family's] actions, but should it be so, that would be very unfortunate.”

Comissiong said emotions were very raw that day and the environment very charged.

Heart-rending

“The responses of the family, as expected, were heart-rending. One would have anticipated the police would have had the maturity to understand the situation and empathise with family members,” he added.

Comissiong said the decision to investigate the matter further was surprising since Commissioner of Police Darwin Dottin had “offered an olive branch” to the Rastafarian community, saying he was willing to meet with them.

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.

by SS (Heat Newspaper - Issue #139)

Emancipation Day celebrations at Bailey’s Plantation took on even greater significance for many Barbadians, some still grieving the untimely death of a promising young Barbadian and member of the local Rastafarian community.

There was a strong presence from the Justice Committee formed in the wake of the recent passing of I’Akobi Tacuma Hembadoon Maloney, and many other Barbadians braved persistent showers to show solidarity with the principles of emancipation. (more…)

by PR/CA (www.nationnews.com)

THE ROYAL BARBADOS POLICE FORCE is clearing the air concerning the death of I’Akobi Maloney.

The force issued a Press release on Wednesday stating: “A number of articles, attributed to various authors, have been appearing in the Press, in which some issues have been raised following the death of I’Akobi Tacuma Hembadoon Maloney.

“The police would wish to take the opportunity to clarify certain misconceptions that may have been perceived following this tragedy.”

The 23-year-old Maloney died June 17 at The Land Lock, Cove Bay, St Lucy, and police reports were that he jumped to his death from a cliff there.

But there have been persistent calls for an independent investigation into Maloney’s death and last week his family queried the condition of the contents of a bag returned to them. (more…)

by PCA (www.nationnews.com)

THE MYSTERY surrounding the death of I’Akobi Maloney at Cove Bay, St Lucy, on June 17, has deepened with the return of his haversack to his mother.

Police returned Maloney’s bag to his mother Maggie Maloney last week, and she had serious issues with its condition and its contents.

“The police statement that they released clearly states that he jumped with clothes on and his haversack on his back.

“If that is the case, and the cause of death they gave was drowning, then everything in the bag should be water damaged. The bag and its contents are dry – no sea-salt, the papers in it are not mildewed, not sticking together, just dry,” said Maloney. (more…)