Number one accused statement riddled with lies!
Claims police promised deal
By Terresa McCall
Reporter-SKNVibes.com
 |
|
Maluska Williams
|
BASSETERRE, St. Kitts - THE case of the attempted murder of Defence Force Corporal Joseph Bergan took an interesting spin yesterday when number one accused Maluska Williams told the court that the statement he gave to police following his arrest was riddled with lies.
Williams, after the prosecution had closed its case, took the stand yesterday afternoon and sought to give his side of the story.
Williams explained to the court that he was arrested and charged in relation to the incident sometime in May 2006 and, while under arrest at the Basseterre Police Station, he was taken to the CID room and promised charges against him would be dropped and he would be listed as a Crown witness in the case if he cooperates with the police.
Williams explained that under that premise he gave the statement, parts of which, he now claims, are grossly inaccurate.
“I was given an offer to give a statement against Wayne Matthew (number two accused in the case). The part about me taking the army man’s gun and Wayne Matthew shooting the army man are false. I said Wayne Matthew shot the army man in the statement, but it’s not true. I did not see who shot the army man and I don’t know who did. I don’t know who took the weapon.”
Williams, again, contrary to the statement he gave to the police while arrested, explained, “I was not part of a plan to rob Joseph Bergan on December 2.” He denied being with the second accused in the case on the day of the incident and also denied attempting to murder the soldier. ~~Adz:Right~~
Strangely enough however, Williams elucidated that on the day in question he was to be the look-out-man…
“I was in a lookout position. I was looking out for the CEMACO truck to arrive. Dwight Matthew and Nigel Henry were supposed to collect the weapon from the army man. Me and (my brother) Reese Williams were on the lookout. According to Constable Dwight Matthew’s plan, that is all we were supposed to do. I did not have a weapon. Constable Dwight Matthew had a weapon. I was not a part of a plan to rob the CEMACO truck. Before the CEMACO truck arrived, I abandoned my position.”
Williams drove his point further home when he told the judge and jury that he concocted parts of his statement, also because “my life was jeopardised. I was threatened several times. I was threatened by Nigel Henry, alias ‘Daffy’, and Constable Dwight Matthew.”
On December 2, 2005, while providing security for a CEMACO truck, Corporal Joseph Bergan was shot in his neck by two masked men dressed in black clothing. The incident occurred at Lodge Village at about 12:00 in the afternoon.
According to evidence in the case, Bergan, after being shot, received assistance firstly from one Raphael York who, at the time, was a resident of Lodge Village. York testified in court that had he not responded when he did, Bergan would have been a dead man.
Other evidence in the case revealed that after Bergan was shot, his firearm was taken from him and hidden. Brother to Maluska Williams, Reese Williams, testified in court that co-accused in the case, Wayne Matthew, told him that he shot the soldier and ran from the scene leaving Maluska behind to retrieve the soldier’s gun.
The said gun, according to Reese, was given to Wayne’s brother, Constable Dwight Matthew to be hidden.
The case is expected to continue today with the cross-examination of Maluska Williams by the prosecution, following which co-accused Wayne Matthew will take the stand.
