ComPol Explains Why He Had to Testify in Selgado Case

We have not had an opportunity to ask him for a comment on the ruling since the High Court handed down its verdict in the Oscar Selgado case. But today, News Five asked the Commissioner of Police, Chester Williams for his perspective on the historic conviction of an attorney who was found guilty based solely on testimonial evidence when the material evidence all mysteriously disappeared. Williams himself was called to testify, having listened to audio recordings of conversations between Selgado and a civilian who he had hired to kill a woman. The audio recordings went missing, and Williams was called to testify in that regard. 

 

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police

“As police officers, we owe a duty to the state to ensure that we execute our duties to the best of our ability. And the matter involving Mr Selgado was one that there were certain facts within my knowledge. Even though I was not within the pool of witnesses to be called, but the minute the main witness decided to not show because he felt fearful, then the DPP had to invoke the witness for fear provision. Then my presence becomes necessary and based on that, I had to do a statement. I had listened to the tapes that went missing. I knew what some of the contents were and I just reduced those to a statement. And then I was called to the court to testify. And I told the court the truth, what I knew of what transpired and what were the facts within my knowledge as it relates to the tapes that went missing.”