Family still awaiting justice for Devon Deene

Devon Deene was riding his motorcycle along the Albion Public Road, Berbice, early on the morning of September 22, 2015, when a minibus collided with him. The driver was allegedly found standing over his near-lifeless body before he was rushed to a nearby hospital. He later died.
A year later there are no answers to what really occurred and a proposed inquest has not yet begun.
Deene’s family is saying that there is some sort of cover-up in the investigations.
His sister Kenisha said that since the accident there has been no justice: “We believe that justice delayed is justice denied and it hurts us every day to know that we have to go on knowing that we lose a brother, son an uncle… Nobody is calling us to say this is the case or it is at this position,” she said.
The woman lamented that “words cannot articulate the way we feel knowing that my brother is gone and this young man is living free. Every time he sees us he looks at us so pompously and I think that is really unfair.”
She claimed that the driver of the minibus which struck her brother was seen consuming what appeared to be alcohol at the Berbice Expo and Trade Fair minutes before the accident occurred while Deene, a factory worker at the Albion Sugar Factory, was on his way home from work.
After the accident, she said, her brother’s motorbike was found some distance from the minibus. She said his helmet was never found. According to her, it was because of this that family members believe that there is more to the incident than just the accident.
However, eyewitnesses claimed that the motorcyclist was speeding at the time of the accident and was not wearing a helmet.
Nevertheless, the sister is contending that a proper investigation was not carried out. She recalls that even before her brother was buried, the driver of the minibus was on the “road driving another vehicle and has never been charged for the causing the death.”
“All they tell us is that the file went to the DPP, yes it went to the DPP but nobody is saying anything to us. They had other cases that went to the DPP and they had closure…” Officer-in-Charge of Traffic ‘B’ Division (Berbice) Budnarine Persaud said the Director of Public Prosecutions has advised that an inquest be held to determine whether anyone was responsible for the death of Deene. He explained that based on the outcome of the inquest that it will be determined whether charges will be laid.
However, he did express concern that the inquest had not started as yet but noted that the Police have no control over that aspect of the investigations.
Deene was riding his motorcycle west along the Albion Public Road when he reportedly tried to overtake a minibus bearing registration PHH 3410, which was heading in the same direction but ended up colliding with it.
He was rushed to the Port Mourant Hospital, but was later transferred to the New Amsterdam Hospital. However, given his critical state, Deene was transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital and placed on a life-support machine. He later succumbed.