Kingston: Police investigating the murder of Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer at the Cricket World Cup have received the results of toxicology tests, the chief investigator said on Saturday.

“We do have results from toxicology now but they will require further investigation and analysis and therefore it would be totally inappropriate for me to elaborate any further than that at this time,” deputy police commissioner Mark Shields said.

“If I am asked any question about it, I will not answer those questions. All I will say is that we have some results back and it will require further analysis and investigation.”

Shields, who is leading the investigation, said that 30 police officers were working full time to crack the case.

Shields said two of four detectives from the London Metropolitan Police force had already left Jamaica, after making several recommendations on how to investigate the case.

“The review headed by detective superintendent John Sweeney was done to ensure that we are doing everything that we could be doing in order to establish who murdered Bob Woolmer,” Shields said.

“The Metropolitan Police have made a number of recommendations which I am very pleased to receive. There was nothing dramatic in that process. It was very much a support function.

“The closed circuit television footage from the Pegasus hotel (where Woolmer was staying) and other places have been transported to New Scotland Yard, where that work is ongoing,” Shield said.

“I now have some of the results which are excellent and give us a clearer picture of people’s movements within the Pegasus hotel and elsewhere. Other work will be ongoing in order to support this investigation,” Shields said.

A coroner’s inquest will be held into Woolmer’s death before his body is released to his family in South Africa where he lived. The inquest will start in Kingston on April 23.

Shields also denied claims of poor treatment by Pakistan Younis Khan. “Nothing could be further than the truth,” Shields said. “We had 100 per cent co-operation from the Pakistan team. They were treated with dignity and respect at a time when their coach had recently died under tragic circumstances.

“They were very upset. However we had to do our job and we did it as sensitively as we possible could,” Shields, the Jamaican Police deputy commissioner, said.

Younis told a news conference on Thursday that Jamaican police did a poor job of dealing with them. “At one stage I got so angry with the way we were being treated I told the Jamaican authorities we are International cricketers not criminals,” he said.

“I told them ‘why are you suspecting us of murdering Woolmer?’ In him we have lost a father figure,” Younis said.

But Shields expressed surprise at Younis’ remarks. “They (Pakistan) had a game on Wednesday and we decided that we would interview all the players on Thursday and they cooperated.”

“So we set time aside and I personally spoke to the players after that and there was no indication at the time from any player or match official that they had been treated in any other way than with dignity and respect as we treat everybody,” Shields said.

“We have received nothing but praise from the Pakistan diplomats here recently for the way in which we have handled the investigations and we now have two Pakistan policemen here, who are working alongside us.

“So frankly I am very surprised and disappointed by that statement but he is entitled to his views.” Shields said.

(Reuters)