Jamaica avoided diplomatic row by letting team leave
LONDON, March 26: The Jamaica police chief probing the hotel room murder of Pakistan cricket coach Bob Woolmer at the World Cup said in an interview on Monday that he had let the team fly home to avoid a diplomatic row.
Deputy police commissioner Mark Shields told The Times newspaper in London that he had no prime suspect in mind but reiterated that Mr Woolmer probably knew his killer.
Investigators were poring over security videos from the hotel in Kingston, Jamaica, where Mr Woolmer, 58, and the rest of the Pakistan team were staying at the time.
Holding the players in Jamaica “would have caused a significant diplomatic incident and had an extremely adverse effect on the World Cup,” Mr Shields said.
He said there would have been uproar “if I had started holding people against their will.”
Mr Shields earlier told reporters that investigators were carefully looking at images taken by closed circuit cameras in the Pegasus hotel and were focusing on the 12th floor, where Mr Woolmer was staying.
He told the newspaper that detectives were looking at door key-card records to monitor the movements of residents.
“We have not managed to eliminate anybody,” he said. “But we do not have suspicion about one person over another.”
He said he was working with two Pakistani diplomats to ensure that anyone needed for further questioning could return to Jamaica.
Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri, the first secretary at the Pakistani embassy in Washington, who travelled to liaise with police in Kingston, expressed anger over swirling rumours about the team.
Dalawar Chaudhry, who organized the London stopover, said the team were all “very, very down”.
“I have had a word with all the boys and they have lost someone very near and dear to them. A father figure has been lost... They haven't been sleeping well. It’s been a very emotional time,” he said.
The players have been fingerprinted, DNA-tested and questioned by Jamaica police, who called in captain Inzamamul Haq, caretaker coach Mushtaq Ahmed and manager Talat Ali for further questions before they left.
The Mirror daily in London cited Pakistan team spokesman Pervez Mir as saying that police had asked Inzamam and Talat why they had moved rooms off the floor where Mr Woolmer was staying, and Mushtaq about cuts to his face.
Voice of America quoted police as saying that they had not found any proof of any Pakistani player’s involvement in the murder case and they has focussed their attention on those involved in match-fixing.—AFP/APP
