Venezuelans will be brought back to SVG to testify – DPP

Director of Public Prosecutions Colin Williams has expressed confidence that the Venezuelans needed to testify in the coroner’s inquest into the death of customs guard Othneil Whyte and three other foreign nationals, will be brought back to St Vincent and the Grenadines.{{more}}

He explained that there is a Venezuelan embassy here and that there have been other instances where witnesses had been brought back from Venezuela.

In an interview on Wednesday, Williams said that he was basing his confidence on the nature of the cooperation that this country currently enjoys with the South American nation.

“I don’t anticipate much difficulty, quite frankly; I am confident that we will get the cooperation,” the DPP told SEARCHLIGHT.

The much anticipated coroner’s inquest began on November 28, with eight witnesses giving evidence.

However, the matter was adjourned indefinitely the following day.

According to Williams, there is currently no Venezuelan Ambassador here, however the DPP’s office had requested some assistance from the local embassy and then the relevant paperwork would have to go through the diplomatic channels. One hindering factor, however, according to the DPP, was getting a direct flight from Venezuela to St Vincent.

He said summons were sent about 10 days before the start of the coroner’s inquest last week Thursday, but as was the situation in a previous case, where a Venezuelan national was a key witness in a matter here, getting a direct flight to St Vincent proved problematic.

The question to be asked, however, according to Williams, is what if the men do not come up, does this indicate that the inquest could not continue?

He said that he did not want to speculate and remained optimistic about the men’s return.

“We are making efforts to get them summoned – they are not in our jurisdiction, but if we are unable to get them back, then we cross that bridge whenever,” Williams said.

This was the concern expressed by Abdon Whyte, son of the deceased man Othneil Whyte, who expressed his disappointment that the inquest had been stopped indefinitely.

“It was definitely disappointing, because after waiting over a year and a half and then my mother and I having to relive that all over again and now having it put off, it means that when the Venezuelans give evidence, if they come, we will have to relive that again – I have always maintained that the Venzuelans should have never been released,” Abdon Whyte said.

On September 19, 2012, Junior Jose Astodelle Conteura, Deybi Jose Mata Vicent, 22, Heuwerto Rafael Mata Mata, 55, Darwind Mata Salazar, 27 and the captain of the vessel, Degry Mata Vicent, 28, had all charges brought against them dropped.

When contacted last year, DPP WIlliams said he discontinued the matter after applying the full code test.

“After applying the full code test, there’s no reason to detain the Venezuelans. It was determined that the Venezuelans should no longer be detained in custody,” the DPP explained.

But Abdon Whyte said that he believes that the Venezuelans should have never been sent back and that the inquest should have taken place sooner.

“After hearing the evidence presented, why weren’t charges brought against the Venezuelans?”

He said that charges were made, but nothing really solid were brought against the men.

The son of the deceased man said that he was also disappointed with the autopsy report.

“The autopsy report was very brief,” he said.

He said he was not too confident that the authorities would successfully get the men back here for trial.

“They allowed them to go and now they are needed to give evidence.”

Whyte also said he was disappointed with the manner in which the whole investigation had been handled.

He said that the investigation was not thorough and that persons “jumped to conclusions in making determinations of what happened.

“I am just hoping that these people can come and that the inquest could conclude and a determination be made.”

He said that he has his own opinion of what went on the night his father died.

Whyte said despite their disappointment with the way things had been handled, they were pleased that they got to listen to all the evidence that was presented thus far and he is optimistic that the person(s) responsible for his father’s death will be revealed.

On June 3 2012, a shoot-out was reported to have taken place at sea, off the coast of Union Island, on board the vessel “El Amigo Fay” between some foreigners and Corporal Rohan DeShong of the Royal St Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force.

Venezuelans David Jose Mata Mata, Natividad de Jesus Mata Mata, and Alfonso Yesid Pallares Medina, who were on board the boat, died in the shoot-out. Junior Jose Astodelle Conteura was shot in the right hip.

Customs Guard Othneil Whyte and DeShong were allegedly fired upon by occupants of the El Amigo Fay.

Following the reported shoot-out, Whyte’s body was fished out of the water with a weak pulse. No gunshot wounds were found on his body.

He later died at the Union Island Health Centre. An autopsy performed revealed that he died as a result of drowning.