500 bullets police kept for safekeeping go missing

OROPOUCHE East MP Dr Roodal Moonilal is calling on the Police Commisioner Erla Harewood-Christopher to investigate the alleged disappearance of 500 bullets seized by police from a licensed firearms dealer, last year.

He made the call on Sunday at an Opposition press conference.

"In this country we have a disease of a missing file, now we have missing ammunition...The police must explain this today."

He did not name the dealer or his company. However, last month, a High Court judge ordered the police to return a number of firearms and ammunition which were seized from the Chaguanas business place of firearms dealer, Towfeek Ali, during an alleged audit.

After the handover was complete, Ali's attorneys wrote to the police indicating that 500 of the 1,230 rounds of 9 mm ammunition that was seized from their client was not returned.

Moonilal said the information surrounding the disappearance was "not adding up." He wants Harewood-Christopher to have her officers account.

He said 500 bullets in the hands of the wrong people could spell death for 500 more people, lead to 500 home invasions or 500 robberies.

Moonilal said when the ammunition was taken as part of the police's audit, it was held by the police "for safekeeping" before the court ordered its return.

“Lo and behold, only 630 rounds of ammunition were returned, leaving 500 missing. At first they indicated they could not find the rest of the bullets, but later indicated they could have miscalculated the count by 500.

“Does the police need SEA maths classes? How can you miscalculate by 500? It’s not five or two or three, its 500 rounds of ammunition, that cannot be found.

“This is a national crisis and Mrs Harewood-Christopher needs to get cracking and investigate this.

He said the missing ammunition raises another issue of the police being in contempt of a court order because having not returned the items, failed to apply to have the judge's order varied or amended.

“Mrs Harewood-Christopher you must account for this. It is cruel, tragic and almost comic that ammunition you seized for safekeeping cannot be found.”

He said it reminded him of past issues involving rats eating cocaine and drugs seized by the police during raids.

Moonial said the ammunition must be returned or an explanation given as it was an important and serious matter especially where guns are being blamed for most crimes and murders in the country.