A Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) major testified in the Tivoli Enquiry yesterday that Tivoli residents told him and his men that they were relieved that soldiers were in control of the community as they had been under threat from gunmen loyal to Christopher ‘Dudus’ Coke.

Major Luis Cheverria‎ testified that residents said they had been prevented by gunmen from leaving the community in the days leading up to the operation to apprehend Coke.

“They were allowed to go to work but if they didn’t come home their families would be in danger,” said Cheverria, whose Charlie Company was tasked with apprehending Coke on May 24, 2010.

“They said they were under constant threat and that if they left their family would be harmed,” added the major during his examination-in-chief.

On May 23, 2010, the day before the start of the operation, the police provided a bus for residents who wanted to leave the community, but there were no takers.

During the enquiry, residents gave various reasons for not taking the bus but none said they were prevented by gunmen from leaving.

Evidence was given previously that the bus was provided to reduce the risk of residents being harmed in crossfire between members of the security forces and gunmen loyal to Coke.

Police have also testified before the commission that gunmen in Tivoli often used residents, especially women and children, in Tivoli Gardens as human shields during clashes with members of the security forces — and that residents were used to retrieve guns left behind by criminals during these clashes.

In addition, the police have contended during the enquiry that gunmen loyal to Coke had been killing people in the community, leading up to the operation because of their refusal to participate in defending Coke.

Yesterday, Cheverria testified that his company took charge of its sector in Tivoli Gardens at 3:00 pm on the 24th after heavy gunfire, and that upon entering the community he saw at least two bodies on DC Avenue ‎with their throats and abdomen slashed. He said the wounds didn’t appear to be fresh and that he saw no gunshot wounds on the bodies.

At another point, he testified before the enquiry — which is looking into the circumstances surrounding the death of 74 people during the operation — that he had reports from his soldiers that they found large numbers of men in houses within the community and that they could give no satisfactory answer as to their business in Tivoli Gardens. He said they were mostly young men with no west Kingston addresses.

Evidence had been given that Coke had recruited a vast number of gunmen from across the island in an effort to bar members of the security forces from entering the community, and that upwards of 300 gunmen were there.

Last week, Lieutenant Colonel Jamie O’Gilvie testified that there had been similar occurrences in communities surrounding Tivoli Gardens in which residents gave up these strange men. He said some the men also gave up themselves and were turned over to the police. He said they were from parishes in the western end of the island and that they could not say what they were doing inside Tivoli Gardens.

Yesterday, Cheverria’s evidence that he got no report from his men that police officers had carried out extra-judicial killings in Tivoli Gardens, prompted an application from Lord Gifford, QC, (representing the Office of the Public Defender), for Cheverria to be shown the names of two soldiers — identified only as Soldier 1 and Soldier 3 — who testified to seeing the killings.

But commission Chairman Sir David Simmons said that would shatter the promise of confidentiality given to the men for them to give evidence.