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Policemen charged in Kraal shootings

TWO MORE POLICEMEN involved in the 2003 shootings in Kraal, Clarendon, were charged on Wednesday and taken before the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate's Court yesterday.

Detective Corporal Terence Tingling and Sergeant Terence Ballen, were granted $500,000 bail each, and ordered to surrender their travel documents. Tingling is to report to the Harbour View police, while Ballen is to report to the Gregory Park police. They are to return on August 22.

They are charged with attempting to pervert the course of justice and four charges of accessory after the fact of murder.

David Fraser from the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions told the court that on May 7, 2003, Tingling and Ballen were a part of the then Crime Management Unit, which shot dead four persons, including two women, in an operation headed by Senior Superintendent Renato Adams. The police claimed the deceased engaged them in a shoot-out.

Discharge the firearm

Fraser said Tingling and Ballen left Kraal for a house in Spanish Town, St. Catherine, where they obtained a 9mm Taurus. They headed back to Kraal, he said, stopping on a lonely road to discharge the firearm. The spent shells and the gun were taken and handed over to SSP Adams, Fraser noted, who then placed them on the floor of the house, while the deceased were still there.

He said they have statements from witnesses, phone records and other evidence that supported their case. He however said because investigations are still being done, if the cops were granted bail, there was the possibility the investigations might be hampered.

But defence attorney Deborah Martin, said investigations were going on since May 2003, and her clients did nothing to interfere in the case thus far, and there was no evidence to support the Prosecution's claims.

She said her clients were not formally told they were to be charged. "Your Honour, they heard through informal channels about the charges, and sought legal advice." She said if they wanted to abscond, they had numerous opportunities over the two years.