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Lusignan jailbreak … “I am very embarrassed” – Public Security Minister
Public Security Minister, Khemraj Ramjattan
It has been just over two weeks since eight prisoners escaped custody following the destruction by fire of the Georgetown Prisons, Camp Street. Four of those prisoners have been recaptured. Yesterday, an additional thirteen prisoners escaped custody from the Lusignan holding facility, bringing the count to 17 prisoners now on the run.
The situation has been described as embarrassing and unfortunate by Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan. He offered this reaction during a press conference held at his ministry’s boardroom yesterday in the company of Commissioner of Police (ag) David Ramnarine and Director of Prisons, Gladwin Samuels.
The Minister was asked what the feeling within his government was over the matter, particularly since the administration is dominated at the highest level with persons that are security-oriented.
“I am very embarrassed as to what happened last night. Very embarrassed. It is terrible what transpired. But you know, we have to continue with this fight; catching, in the manhunt these 17 persons and in the process also, doing the policy issues in enhancing our legislative framework, and also getting done that which we have already started.”
The work which has begun that the Minister mentioned, relates to the consultancies regarding pre-detention trials, alternative sentencing, and getting quantity surveys and a design for the new Mazaruni Prison so that construction can begin.
“Those are the big things that we have to get solved to solve this problem. Yes, you will have the misfeasance or malfeasance that might have occurred there that allowed this to happen, but the bigger question is that it will continue to happen this way if we don’t get those big things solved.”
Ramjattan said that the homes for 12 additional prison officers for the Mazaruni Prisons will be completed later this month. Despite the prevailing situation, the Minister urged that there must be no surrender to the prisoners.
“We must never never give up in this fight against those who are the anti-socials in that sense, who are doing things to damnify the creation of a better Guyana for us. And so yes, indeed I was embarrassed. It was an unfortunate setback; very unfortunate, but here we are and we have to move on, catch them and get some new prisons.”
When asked who should bear full responsibility for this second prison escape within a month, the Minister chose not to identify specific persons who should take responsibility for the unfortunate event.
Ramjattan said that, ultimately, he is responsible, since he is the subject Minister for security. However, he said that those immediately responsible would be the joint services ranks that were positioned in and around the ‘walled area’.
Ramjattan described the escape of the 13 prisoners as a rather grave development. On the question whether resigning from his post is on the cards, the Minister said that ‘resignation’ is not a word he is associated with. He explained that he is a fighter, and that he took the post of Public Security Minister because he wanted to help in the security sector. He said that it is unfortunate that these series of events have happened under his stewardship.
“Indeed it is a bad thing, if I must say so, but resignation is not a word I’m normally associated with. I’ve gone through this political career with a lot, not necessarily worse than this, but a lot that is equivalent to this, and I’m still here, and I want to believe I’ll still be standing when all is over.”
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