Soldier charged in case of missing 28,000 rounds from Camp Cumuto

AFTER months of intense investigations, a soldier has been charged with three offences relating to the mysterious disappearance of close to 28,000 rounds of military-grade ammunition from a ammunition bunker at Camp Cumuto.

Senior Defence Force officials confirmed that the charges were linked to the alleged negligence of the warrant officer who had responsibility for securing the bunker and bringing the regiment into disrepute.

According to a senior officer familiar with the matter, the case will be heard internally and the Chief of Defence Staff Air Vice Marshal Darryl Daniel will have to direct whether the officer face a Court Martial after a summary of evidence is gathered.

In early February, it was discovered that the ammunition was missing from the armoury at Camp Cumuto.

The camp was locked down, and a desperate search was conducted between February 7 and 8 to find the estimated 35 missing metal cannisters of ammunition without success.

According to a July confidential sub-report stemming from the board of enquiry set up to investigate the missing ammunition, there was evidence of a "potential cover-up."

The enquiry which was done by Lt Col Dwayne Edwards also found discrepancy in the "reclassification" of the ammunition from operational to training.

Further evidence also disputed a claim that the missing ammunition was used for training at the regiment shooting range in Chaguaramas.

In a Newsday article on August 17, national security officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said there was information linking a senior military officer to the alleged sale of the ammuniton of criminal gangs

The issue of regiment-stamped ammunition being found on crime scenes involving gangland murders has reached the highest levels of national security as a source of grave concern. Ammunition with police and Air Guard markings has also been found on various crime scenes. Weapons such as AR-15, commonly used by gangs, use 5.56 ammunition.

The disappearance of the ammunition from Camp Cumuto was among the factors discussed by the National Security Council in the lead up to the declaration of the state of emergency on July 18.