Sun, 2005-03-20

THE INVESTIGATION INTO THE REPORTED ASSAULT OF JAHMIL AND JAHMAL COOPER CONTINUES. A TEAM OF 24 DETECTIVES UNDER THE COMMAND OF ACTING SUPT. ANDREW BOYCE IS WORKING ON THIS INVESTIGATION. THE TEAM IS BEING ASSISTED BY MEMBERS OF THE MARINE UNIT AND AS OF TODAY, APPROXIMATELY 25 ADDITIONAL OFFICERS WILL BE DRAWN INTO THE INVESTIGATION TO ASSIST IN THE SEARCH FOR JAHMAL AND JAHMIL COOPER.

PROGRESS IS BEING MADE IN CONNECTION WITH THIS INVESTIGATION. TWO ADDITIONAL ARRESTS HAVE BEEN MADE IN CONNECTION WITH THE REPORTED ASSAULT ON THE COOPER TWINS. TWO ARRESTS HAVE BEEN MADE IN CONNECTION WITH THE REPORTED ARSON AT THE RESIDENCE ON CROWN HILL LANE IN DEVONSHIRE. ADDITIONAL ARRESTS CANNOT BE RULED OUT AT THIS STAGE. THE INVESTIGATIVE TEAM IS LIAISING WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC PROSECUTIONS; MANY ACTIVE LINES OF INVESTIGATION ARE BEING PURSUED AND WILL BE PURSUED IN THE COMING DAYS.

THERE HAS BEEN MUCH SPECULATION REGARDING THE CURRENT WHEREABOUTS OF THE COOPER TWINS. WE ARE GRAVELY CONCERNED FOR THEIR SAFETY AND ACKNOWLEDGE THAT WITH EACH PASSING HOUR IF WE DO NOT RECEIVE ANY SUBSTANTIAL INFORMATION LEADING TO LOCATING THEM, THEN THE CHANCES OF THEIR SAFE RETURN CONTINUE TO DIMINISH. AT THIS STAGE, WE ARE NOT IN A POSITION TO ELIMINATE OR SUBSTANTIATE CERTAIN POSSIBILITIES REGARDING THEIR WHEREABOUTS. WE DO FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT THERE ARE INDIVIDUALS WHO KNOW WHERE THEY ARE AND WE APPEAL TO ANYONE WHO HAS INFORMATION AS TO THE LOCATION OF JAHMAL AND JAHMIL COOPER TO PROVIDE THE SERVICE OR THE COOPER FAMILY WITH SUCH INFORMATION.

IT WOULD BE HELPFUL, I THINK, FOR ME TO CLARIFY ONE ASPECT OF THE RECENT MEDIA REPORTS REGARDING THIS INVESTIGATION. WE ARE NOT IN POSSESSION OF INFORMATION OR EVIDENCE WHICH SUGGESTS THAT THE COOPER TWINS WERE ABDUCTED OR FORCIBLY TAKEN FROM COURT STREET IN TWO VEHICLES. AT THIS STAGE WE ARE IN POSSESSION OF EVIDENCE WHICH SUGGESTS THAT THEY WILLINGLY ENTERED THE TWO VEHICLES ALONG WITH OTHER MEN. CLEARLY A FOCUS OF THE INVESTIGATION DURING THIS PAST WEEK HAS BEEN TO DETERMINE WHAT OCCURRED ON THEIR ARRIVAL AT THE RESIDENCE ON CROWN HILL LANE. I CAN ALSO CONFIRM THAT WE ARE NOW IN POSSESSION AND HAVE EXAMINED TWO VEHICLES WHICH ARE OF CONSIDERABLE INTEREST TO THE INVESTIGATIVE TEAM.

THE ARSON ATTACK AT THE RESIDENCE ON CROWN HILL LANE LAST WEEK WAS A SET BACK TO THE INVESTIGATION. HOWEVER, I CAN CONFIRM THAT A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF FORENSIC CRIME SCENE WORK WAS CARRIED OUT PRIOR TO THIS ATTACK. ADDITIONAL CRIME SCENE WORK WAS CONDUCTED AFTER THE FIRE WHICH HAS YIELDED USEFUL INFORMATION AND THE ARSON ATTACK – DESPITE BEING AN OBVIOUS HINDRANCE TO US – HAS NOW PROVIDED THE SERVICE WITH ADDITIONAL LINES OF ENQUIRY.

WITH ANY INVESTIGATION A BALANCE HAS TO BE STRUCK BETWEEN THE INFORMATION WHICH CAN BE DISCLOSED TO THE PUBLIC AND THE INFORMATION WHICH MUST BE WITHELD BECAUSE IT IS EXTREMELY SENSITIVE TO THE INVESTIGATION, OR WHERE IT HAS NOT BEEN SUBSTANTIATED OR WHERE IT MIGHT JEOPARDISE AN ACCUSED’S PERSON’S RIGHT TO A FAIR TRIAL. CLEARLY, NOW THAT AN INDIVIDUAL HAS BEEN CHARGED IN CONNECTION WITH THIS INVESTIGATION I MUST BE CAUTIOUS AND INDEED ANYONE SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF THE SERVICE MUST BE CAUTIOUS AS TO WHAT INFORMATION IS PUT INTO THE PUBLIC DOMAIN. WE ARE IN A POSITION WHEREBY WE HAVE TO ENSURE THAT THE INVESTIGATION IS NOT COMPROMISED – BUT AT THE SAME TIME DISCLOSE WHAT INFORMATION WE CAN SO AS TO MAXIMISE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ACQUIRE INFORMATION AND EVIDENCE WHICH MAY LEAD TO THE LOCATION OR LOCATIONS WHERE JAHMAL AND JAHMIL COOPER ARE.

WHILE THE PRESS MIGHT FIND THIS TO BE RESTRICTIVE - I MERELY ASK FOR YOUR UNDERSTANDING. WE HAVE ENJOYED AN OPEN AND PRODUCTIVE WORKING RELATIONSHIP BUT WE MUST RESPECT THE PARAMETERS THAT WE BOTH HAVE TO WORK WITHIN. THE SERVICE – I AS COMMISSIONER, MY PRESS OFFICERS AND ANYONE SPEAKING OFFICIALLY ON BEHALF OF THE BPS CANNOT SIMPLY ANSWER EVERY QUESTION POSED BY THE MEDIA. IT WOULD BE UNSAFE AND UNWISE TO DO SO. I WOULD JUST ASK THAT YOU RESPECT THAT AND YOU HAVE MY ASSURANCE THAT WE WILL CONTINUE TO PROVIDE YOU WITH REGULAR UPDATES ON THIS INVESTIGATION – TO THE EXTENT THAT WE CAN - AS WE ARE MINDFUL THAT CHARGES HAVE BEEN LAID AND ARE BEFORE THE COURTS NOW.

IN ANY INVESTIGATION – PUBLIC SUPPORT IS OFTEN VITAL. THIS CASE IS NO EXCEPTION AND I CONTINUE TO APPEAL TO ANY RESIDENT IN THE AREA OF REC VIEW HILL OR CROWN HILL LANE TO CONTACT THE BERMUDA POLICE SERVICE WITH ANY INFORMATION YOU MIGHT HAVE IN RELATION TO THE ASSAULTS ON JAHMAL AND JAHMIL COOPER AND THE MOVEMENTS OF VEHICLES DURING THE EARLY MORNING HOURS OF SUNDAY, MARCH 13TH 2005.

IT WOULD BE UNWISE FOR THE SERVICE TO SPECULATE AS TO THE REASONS OR MOTIVE FOR THE COOPER TWINS TO HAVE BEEN ASSAULTED OR TO SPECULATE AS TO THE REASONS FOR THEIR DISAPPEARANCE. WHAT WE HAVE AT THIS STAGE IS AN INVESTIGATION THAT IS MAKING PROGRESS AND TWO MEN REMAIN UNACCOUNTED FOR. IF THERE IS ANYONE OUT THERE WITH INFORMATION ON THE EVENTS LEADING UP TO THE ASSAULTS ON JAHMIL AND JAHMAL COOPER OR THEIR SUBSEQUENT DISAPPEARANCE THEN PLEASE CONTACT THE BPS.

IN CASES SUCH AS THESE WE MAINTAIN CLOSE CONTACT WITH THE COOPER FAMILY AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO DO SO AS THE INVESTIGATION DEVELOPS.

ANYONE WITH INFORMATION IS ASKED TO CALL THE INVESTIGATION TEAM AT: 299-4239 OR 299-4315 OR CALL CRIME STOPPERS AT 1-800-623-8477.

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