THERE IS A GOD

This was the view of Ag Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) and Head of the Homicide Investigations Bureau Wayne Dick on the successful completion of investigations into the murder of Republic Bank employee Shannon Banfield which ended in a man being charged for her murder and taken to court yesterday.

At a press conference convened at Police Administration Building in Port-of-Spain, Ag DCP Dick confirmed that Dale Seecharan, an employee of IAM & Co Limited was re-arrested and formally charged for 20-year-old Banfield’s murder. An autopsy showed that the young woman was smothered.

“It was a very painstaking investigation that entailed alot of patience and commitment from members of the Homicide Investigations Bureau supported by members of the Special Branch, Criminal Gang and Intelligence Unit, Port-of-Spain Task Force and the Criminal Records Office, which led to the arrest of one Dale Seecharan, who was then an employee at IAM and Company Limited, located at Charlottte Street in Port-of-Spain,” Ag DCP Dick stated.

Dick thanked all officers involved in the investigations, Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Roger Gaspard SC, Director at the Forensic Science Centre Arlette Lewis and a “special thanks” to Ishmael Ali, owner of IAM & Co and the management of Pennywise Limited for their input in the successful investigation. He alluded to an effective partnering between the Police Service and the business community which led to a successful outcome.

Banfield was found dead on a shelf in a room on the third floor of IAM & Co Ltd’s warehouse store on December 8, three days after she was reported missing by her family after she failed to return to their Santa Cruz home. Two men were immediately identified by police as ‘persons of interest’ in the case and arrested. Both were later freed while one of them was rearrested only to be freed again.

Asked about the strength of the State’s case, Ag DCP Dick responded, “My experience in Homicide affords me the opportunity to say to you...the case is strong. The Director of Public Prosecutions in whom I have great respect, will not in any way give directions or advice on the prosecution of someone, if the standard burden of proof required to bring a charge against a person, is not met.” The top cop also denied widespread rumours that Banfield’s body was found eviscerated (internal organs removed). “There is absolutely no truth to that claim,” he said. Ag DCP Dick also rubbished rumours of skeletal remains being found in IAM & Co.

On the conduct of the investigators, Dick said: “I would personally like to commend the officers in this investigation. I am pleased with the manner in which the investigators conducted their enquiries. I am pleased with the support of the executive officers of the police service and I am indeed pleased with members of the public along Charlotte Street and in other areas. Investigators ended up in Laventille...

so wherever they got information they went and pursued leads.” He revealed that only an hour before yesterday’s press conference, was the crime scene on the third floor of the warehouse store was handed back to IAM & Co management because, “when we take charge of a scene, we are in full control of that scene until it’s properly explored. That entire store was properly explored, properly searched. So while it may appear as if you’re going back because you didn’t do (a thorough job), it’s not because of that. It’s because it’s a big store and a thorough search was done.” The arrest and laying of a murder charge came hours after Shannon’s mother Sherry Ann Lopez led a justice march on Monday evening through the streets of Port-of- Spain in Shannon’s honour.