Police yesterday denied that their investigation into Bob Woolmer’s murder was being hampered by poor CCTV footage recorded on the 12th floor of the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel where the Pakistan cricket coach was strangled eight days ago.

A source close to the probe told the Observer yesterday that the recording equipment is “archaic” and the footage is not clear, making it difficult for homicide sleuths to identify the person or persons who entered and left Woolmer’s room between 8:45 pm on March 17 and the next morning when his body was found.

But the man who is leading the investigation into Woolmer’s killing, Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the crime portfolio, Mark Shields, said the claim was baseless and totally untrue.

“There could be nothing farther from the truth, they are telling you a load of crap,” Shields said in disgust at the latest of several allegations and rumours which have surrounded the tragedy that has overshadowed the Cricket World Cup.

However, Shields said the cameras only recorded activity in the c orridors and the footage does not show who went into or came out of Woolmer’s room.

The CCTV footage is one of the most crucial pieces of evidence in the possession of the police and questions have been raised as to why the police have taken over one week to identify a suspect.

But Shields seemed undisturbed by public impatience with the pace of investigations. “In a murder investigation you have to be very sure, you can’t give a timeline,” he said. “One thing I can tell you, we will get to the bottom of this.”

Police were still reviewing the tapes yesterday and the room where Woolmer died has not yet been handed over to the hotel. The police also have DNA samples and fingerprints of all members of the Pakistan delegation and other persons who came into contact with Woolmer.

In the meantime, the Coroner’s Court, which is located in Downtown Kingston, will today receive a report from the police, the pathologist’s findings and all the statements the police have taken from witnesses. This is the first step towards an inquest which was ordered into Woolmer’s death last week.

The coroner’s inquest is expected to be held as quickly as possible in order that Woolmer’s body can be sent to his bereaved family in Cape Town, South Africa.

But the Coroner’s Court has been plagued with a backlog of cases, and human rights activists have long criticised the snail’s pace at which cases crawl in that section of the justice system.

There is a backlog of more than 4,000 cases in the Coroner’s Court and each year between 400 and 450 cases are called up there.

Yesterday, executive director of local human rights group Jamaicans For Justice, Carolyn Gomes, said her organisation will be watching with interest how the Woolmer case is handled.

Jamaicans For Justice said that in the last two years they have presented 30 cases before the court and only four have been completed.

“It will be interesting to see how they handle this one,” Gomes said. “Why is it that outside people can get a decent inquest when locals can’t?” she asked.

Gomes also warned that holding the inquest at the present site of the Coroner’s Court would be an embarrassment to the country. The court is situated on the third floor of an old wooden building at 79 Duke Street in downtown Kingston.

“There is only one wooden bench at the back of the court. Are they going to have the foreign media sit there during the inquest?” Gomes asked. “The court is totally archaic and the notes are handwritten by the judge.”