THE ESCAPE OF SKINNY

Jun 28, 2008 Editorial

The escape from lawful custody of alleged multi-murderer Jermaine Charles, also known as Skinny, has once again led to a pall of fear descending on the country because of the perceived dangers his unauthorized freedom can engender within society.

‘Skinny’, it must be recalled, was amongst those charged with the murders of five staff members of this newspaper who were cowardly executed in 2006.

He was also before the Courts accused of involvement in the murder of Agriculture Minister Satyadeow Sawh. His escape from the lock ups at the Sparendaam Police Station is likely to ignite fears.

It was to be expected that this particular prisoner would have been isolated from other prisoners given his alleged reputation and the nature of the crimes for which he is charged.

However, ever since he began appearing in Court for the murder of the Kaieteur News staff, there has been extreme lax security over him and some of his co-accused.

At one time, this newspaper published photographs of the wanted men openly conversing with family members within the precincts of the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

Now, the prisoner has escaped. This unfortunate development could not have come at a worse time for Guyana. The country is currently preparing for CARIFESTA and in so doing, is seeking to woo visitors to Guyana.

This escape from lawful custody of a high profile prisoner, and more so one accused of participation in sensational murders, does not act as an incentive for visitors to come to Guyana.

The disappearance of Skinny also comes as the Canadian Government has issued a troubling advisory to its nationals about visiting Guyana.

The escape of the prisoner from the lockups is even more cause for worry considering that he was a high profile prisoner who ought to have been shackled rather than simply handcuffed.

The Police Commissioner has already indicated that certain standard operational procedures were not adhered to and that negligence was at work leading to the escape of the murder accused.

We expect that the Guyana Police Force would ensure that those responsible for a breach of procedures and for failing to take steps to closely guard the prisoners would face an appropriate disciplinary tribunal and subsequently face the consequences of any negligent conduct that may have been committed.

We believe that this present disappearance represents a serious dereliction of responsibilities by those entrusted with ensuring the safety of prisoners who have to appear in Courts.

We hope that apart from dealing with the negligence in this case that the authorities will go much further and address the wider issue of prisoner safety, especially the issue of transportation shortages which is often the reason why prisoners have to be placed together before being transported back to the prisons.

The escape of this high profile prisoner represents a setback for the law enforcement arm which just after the slaughter of the media staff was prompt and efficient in arresting and placing before the courts those accused of this heinous crime.

In addition, the Joint Services have been hot on the tracks of the much feared Buxton gang and now have to face the unnecessary worry of going after someone whom they had in lawful confinement.

The escape of Skinny has also shed light on the safety within the court system. A few months ago, there were highly publicized incidents in which magistrates were attacked within the courtroom, developments which prompted increased security.

Now with this latest sensational escape, we strongly suggest that the entire security situation both within and outside of our courts be examined so as to ensure there is no repeat of the Skinny incident.

We also wish to implore that, despite the stretched resources of the Joint Services, a nation-wide manhunt for the escaped prisoner be launched.

No effort should be spared to ensure that the accused be returned to lawful custody. The nation would feel safer knowing that this accused is behind police bars rather than running free.

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THE ESCAPE OF SKINNY

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THE ESCAPE OF SKINNY

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