Investigation continues into fracas at New Amsterdam prison

May 29, 2014 News

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Investigation is continuing into last Friday afternoon’s fracas during which four high profile remand prisoners were brutally chopped and burnt by fellow inmates.
The violence broke out around 18:00 hrs in what apparently was gang warfare. The four men are reportedly members of a gang within the prison.
Pandemonium broke out first outside the New Amsterdam Prison and then at the New Amsterdam hospital as relatives got word of what was taking place in the penal institution. Reports are that shots were fired outside the prison as the crowd pressed forward in an effort to get a closer look at what was happening.
The big question is how did the inmates got possession of prohibited materials such as cutlass, acid and cell phones. One relative said that he got a call from inside the prison telling him to come quickly, because they were being murdered. As word spread more and more relatives poured down to the scene.
The situation was quickly brought under control and the four men were rushed to the New Amsterdam Hospital.
At the Hospital pandemonium broke out as more relatives arrived.  The hospital authorities locked the door and relatives desperate to see their love ones banged at the door and broke the windows.
Police reinforcement was quickly summoned and more armed ranks arrived. This however, did not stop the relatives from venting their anger and abusing the ranks and hospital authorities who firmly stood their ground. This was after relatives were told that they could not enter the Accident and Emergency Unit where the men were.
Although days have passed since the incident occurred, neither the Guyana Prison authorities nor the Guyana Police Force has issued a statement on the incident.
Senior Officers in the Police B division, including Commander, Assistant Commissioner Brian Joseph, were busy conducting investigations. Also during the night the prison service rushed senior officers to Berbice among them, Acting Deputy Director of Prisons Carl Grahame to get a hand of the situation.
However, information remained sketchy with many versions being peddled as to how the men got injured. One report was that the men were injured by one Randolph Rodrigues, called ‘Shoulders,’ who is serving a 20-year sentence for murder.
Another report is that the perpetrator wrestled a prison warden and took away the keys after which he armed himself with a cutlass and opened the cells where the men were before, chopping and burning some of them in what was said to be a well planned attack.
An inside source stated that there were three persons who carried out the assault.  One of the injured men told a relative that the lock was opened by one of the Samaroo brothers who are the leaders of the ‘Scare Dem Crew’ from Angoy’s Avenue, New Amsterdam.
There are reports that a cutlass and a corrosive substance were smuggled into the prisons recently.
According to a hospital source the four men all received multiple chops about their bodies and were in critical conditions when they arrived at the hospital.  However they were stabilised before they were transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital in two different ambulances.
Those confirmed injured are Davendra Harricharran, called ‘Bara’, 27, of Nigg Squatting area, Corentyne, Berbice; Quammy Bhagwandin, 32, of Angoy’s Avenue, New Amsterdam; Clarence Williams called ‘Wild Hog’, 41, of Angoy’s Avenue; and Adbussulum Azimulla called “Sato” 31 of Lot 183 Hampshire Corentyne Berbice.
Harricharran is on remand for the $10M armed robbery committed on April 9, last, at Rose Hall Town, on businessman Mangalie Ramlinggum .
Investigators had received information that Harricharran was the owner of the getaway motorcycle. He was also a member of the notorious ‘Pop Corn’ gang and was recently freed on a murder charge.
He was charged along with Gansham Jagassar called ‘Suresh’ and Adbussulum Azimulla called ‘Sato’ for the 2004 murder of Gary Simon which occurred at Nigg Settlement, Corentyne, Berbice. He is on remand on the murder charge.
He is also charged with two counts of robbery under arms, while in company with others and armed with an AK 47 rifle on Saturday 2nd June 2012 at Cumberland, East Canje. He robbed a business couple millions of dollars in cash and jewelry including foreign currency.
Azimulla was on the run for more than eight years after the murder. He was subsequently charged with the capital offence and remanded to jail.
Quammy Bhagwandin, 32, of Angoy’s Avenue, New Amsterdam was wanted by the police for a series of break and enter and robbery offences and was captured when he turned up at the Sisters Magistrate Court for an impending matter.
Bhagwandin was remanded on two charges of discharging a loaded firearm on February 13, last, at Bath Settlement West Coast Berbice and attempted robbery on the businessman and his son. That incident led to a high speed chase over the Berbice River Bridge.
Two men were subsequently captured and identified Bhagwandin as the master mind. He was also wanted in connection with the break and enter that occurred at C and K Pharmacy and drugs store. Police had recovered a number of items from a dilapidated house at Angoy’s Avenue which was reported to have been frequented by Bhagwandin.
He was also wanted in the break and entering and robbery of the Furniture World business establishment at Main and King Streets, New Amsterdam. He is still being investigated for a number of other robberies that occurred recently.
Clarence Williams called ‘Wild Hog’ 41 of Angoy’s Avenue had written to the Chancellor of the Judiciary citing victimization and undue delay and a number of other issues.
Williams’s matters include sacrilege, robbery, possession of house breaking implements and break and enter and larceny which were committed in the months of April and May 2009. Williams who was in custody for the four matters  is also  charged with  escaping from lawful custody while being a prisoner at the New Amsterdam Prison between June 1st  and 2nd, 2009.He had dug himself out of his cell and scaled the fence before making good his escape.
He had fled to neighbouring Suriname where he was recaptured and brought back to Guyana.  While on remand Williams had also assaulted a police officer.

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