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NOC Commission of Inquiry…Probe stalled as Chairman resigns

Oct 19, 2012 News

The individual spearheading the investigations into the escape of inmates and other related occurrences at the New Opportunity Corps (NOC) about two months ago, has resigned.
During an interview with this publication, Minister of Culture Youth and Sport, Dr. Frank Anthony, said that Mr. Prem Persaud was “caught up between being the Chairman of both the Commission of Inquiry and the Public Utilities Commission”.
He explained that the commissioners of the inquiry are being given a strict timeline to work with, and that it coincided with an important PUC conference that Mr. Persaud had to prepare for.
“It was understandable that he had to divert his energy elsewhere,” the Minister explained.
Ever since the former Judge’s resignation two weeks ago, work by the commission has been stalled, and the Ministry is in the process of identifying a new chairman.
Persaud resigned just as the commission was preparing to visit and conduct interviews with staffers and inmates of the NOC at Onderneeming on the Essequibo Coast.
The Commission of Inquiry was set up to investigate the circumstances surrounding the violent rampage that a number of youngsters ages ranging from 14 to 16 went on to escape from the Juvenile detention facility.
Reports are that the teenagers stormed through several communities while being armed with cutlasses and other weapons. During this period, a female dormitory and a workshop within the compound were set alight.
Minister Anthony told Kaieteur News yesterday that 16-17 young ladies who were housed in the dorm had to be relocated.
As far as the workshop is concerned, Anthony said that it had caused a constraint on training programmes. However, the Ministry, about a year ago, implemented the courses which are being offered by the Kuru Kururu Training Centre, at the NOC. This, he indicated, has been going well, and has seen 19 persons graduating with diplomas.
Minister Anthony also pointed out that some international organizations have promised assistance in rebuilding the workshop and dorms. Even UNICEF, the Minister said, has promised to replace some of the material lost in the fires.
Subsequent to the rampage some of the inmates, after being confronted, claimed that they were being abused by staffers, and that they had reached a breaking point. A senior Ministry official had however, stated that none of the juveniles made any such allegations to the team which visited the centre prior to the escape.
It was as a result of these controversial statements, that a Commission of Inquiry was ordered.
The Board of Inquiry currently includes Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, Alfred King; Senior Superintendent and Divisional Commander of ‘D’ Division, Christopher Griffith; Senior Probation Officer of Ministry of Human Services and Social Security, Trenetta Scott and Mr. Maydha Persaud, a retired headmaster and member of the Teaching Service Commission.
Just about two months ago, 48 of the inmates appeared in court. Eight were charged with arson, while 40 were arraigned for escaping from a training school. Twelve of the inmates are female, while thirty-six are male.
Thirteen of the juveniles pleaded guilty to escaping from the NOC, while the remaining 35 entered not guilty pleas.
Sixteen of the inmates were remanded to the juvenile facility in Georgetown, while the other 32 were returned to the NOC.
Minister Anthony yesterday reiterated that should any staffer be found guilty of abusing the children, they will be dealt with accordingly.

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