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Young woman among four charged with Kameka's murder
Alicia Dunkley
Monday, December 31, 2007
A month after he was slain, sleuths from the Major Investigation Task Force (MIT) on Saturday charged four persons including a young woman with the murder of Assistant Commissioner of Police Gilbert Kameka.
Kameka... was attacked and killed at premises in the rural St Andrew community of Irish Town where he was visiting a friend
Kameka, 48, was attacked and killed at premises in the rural St Andrew community of Irish Town where he was visiting a friend. He was the highest ranked police officer to be murdered in Jamaica.
Charged with murder, conspiracy to murder, robbery with aggravation, conspiracy to robbery and illegal possession of firearm and ammunition are 26-year-old Massimassa Adams of Industry Village; Tyna Gay, 18, of Mount Industry and Kemar Dawson, 18, of Standpipe District, while charged with attempting to pervert the course of justice and accessory after the fact is 21 year-old Rohan Townsend of Irish Town, all in St Andrew.
In an ironic twist, 18-year-old Gay, the sole female who was with Kameka before he was killed and was in protective police custody as an 'important witness', has turned out to be one of the prime suspects 'clearly implicated' in the lawman's murder.
According to a report from the Constabulary Communication Network (CCN), the four who were formally charged on Saturday were held following intensive investigations by the police in separate operations in the Corporate Area. They are scheduled to appear in the Corporate Area Gun Court on Friday, January 4.
And Superintendent of Police Newton Amos, who is in charge of the St Andrew South Division where the murder took place, yesterday had high praises for the work of the MIT.
"It's commendable that we were able to wrap up an investigation like this so quickly... The case seems to have been solved before Mr Kameka was placed in the ground and I know they worked 24 hours on these investigations and the entire team is to be congratulated. We can all be proud of the team led by ACP Les Greene," Amos told the Observer.
Amos said the police should trumpet the results of this case, which would serve as a warning to like-minded criminals.
"I think this is something the police force should let the public know about that this happened and it should be done over and over again so that people out there understand that anytime any such thing happens the police force will spare no resources in placing the best of the best to investigate these matters and bring speedy conclusion. And that doesn't only go for the police who are killed but for citizens also," Amos added.
"Everybody inside the system is happy with the outcome of the investigation, that it was done in such a short time. What it does is bring back confidence in the investigative capabilities of the police," he added.
Meanwhile, Assistant Commissioner of Police Denver Frater told the Observer that investigations had shown that Kameka's killing was not a random occurrence.
"He was targeted but to say that he was targeted by virtue of the fact that he was a police officer I don't think this is why he was targeted. Clearly the evidence is showing that the incident was somewhat planned," he said.
Frater said, however, that at this point it was not clear why Kameka was killed. He indicated that the police was not at this time saying that the case was closed.
"...There might be other persons, I'm not going to say we have all the persons involved in this crime," he said cautiously.
Alicia Dunkley
Monday, December 31, 2007
A month after he was slain, sleuths from the Major Investigation Task Force (MIT) on Saturday charged four persons including a young woman with the murder of Assistant Commissioner of Police Gilbert Kameka.
Kameka... was attacked and killed at premises in the rural St Andrew community of Irish Town where he was visiting a friend Kameka, 48, was attacked and killed at premises in the rural St Andrew community of Irish Town where he was visiting a friend. He was the highest ranked police officer to be murdered in Jamaica.
Charged with murder, conspiracy to murder, robbery with aggravation, conspiracy to robbery and illegal possession of firearm and ammunition are 26-year-old Massimassa Adams of Industry Village; Tyna Gay, 18, of Mount Industry and Kemar Dawson, 18, of Standpipe District, while charged with attempting to pervert the course of justice and accessory after the fact is 21 year-old Rohan Townsend of Irish Town, all in St Andrew.
In an ironic twist, 18-year-old Gay, the sole female who was with Kameka before he was killed and was in protective police custody as an 'important witness', has turned out to be one of the prime suspects 'clearly implicated' in the lawman's murder.
According to a report from the Constabulary Communication Network (CCN), the four who were formally charged on Saturday were held following intensive investigations by the police in separate operations in the Corporate Area. They are scheduled to appear in the Corporate Area Gun Court on Friday, January 4.
And Superintendent of Police Newton Amos, who is in charge of the St Andrew South Division where the murder took place, yesterday had high praises for the work of the MIT.
"It's commendable that we were able to wrap up an investigation like this so quickly... The case seems to have been solved before Mr Kameka was placed in the ground and I know they worked 24 hours on these investigations and the entire team is to be congratulated. We can all be proud of the team led by ACP Les Greene," Amos told the Observer.
Amos said the police should trumpet the results of this case, which would serve as a warning to like-minded criminals.
"I think this is something the police force should let the public know about that this happened and it should be done over and over again so that people out there understand that anytime any such thing happens the police force will spare no resources in placing the best of the best to investigate these matters and bring speedy conclusion. And that doesn't only go for the police who are killed but for citizens also," Amos added.
"Everybody inside the system is happy with the outcome of the investigation, that it was done in such a short time. What it does is bring back confidence in the investigative capabilities of the police," he added.
Meanwhile, Assistant Commissioner of Police Denver Frater told the Observer that investigations had shown that Kameka's killing was not a random occurrence.
"He was targeted but to say that he was targeted by virtue of the fact that he was a police officer I don't think this is why he was targeted. Clearly the evidence is showing that the incident was somewhat planned," he said.
Frater said, however, that at this point it was not clear why Kameka was killed. He indicated that the police was not at this time saying that the case was closed.
"...There might be other persons, I'm not going to say we have all the persons involved in this crime," he said cautiously.