Intelligence led operation underway to recapture escapees – Police Commissioner

Jul 14, 2017 News

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Currently the joint services of Guyana are conducting an ‘Intelligence led’ operation to recapture the prisoners that would have escaped custody Sunday, following the devastating fire and riot at the Georgetown Prisons,

Camp Street.

This is according to Commissioner of Police, Seelall Persaud. He said, yesterday, at a press conference at the Ministry of Public Security.  Accompanying him at the briefing were Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan, and Director of Prisons, Gladwin Samuels.

Top Cop Persaud said that there is an operation plan which was the mandate of the National Security Committee (NSC).

According to the Commissioner, the plan gives the joint services four broad objectives which are to ensure the security of the prisoners, security of the prisons, recapturing escapees and restoring national order.

He said that the joint services would have met and prepared the plans to achieve the objectives and those plans will be presented to the NSC shortly. However, in the interim, the Commissioner said that  the joint services have already embarked on several operations that are consistent with the plan.

Yesterday, this newspaper reported on such an operation which is ongoing in Buxton, East Coast Demerara during which the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team along with Guyana Defence Force soldiers were combing the Buxton back lands.

Residents in the village reported that the team has been in the area for some time trying to possibly locate the prison escapees.

According to Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan, every effort is being made to recapture the escapees. He informed the media that no longer are there eight prisoners on the run, but rather, six.

This was confirmed by the Commissioner of Police, who said that the four escapees identified by the abducted driver, Matthew Shivtahal are believed to be still moving together in the East Coast Demerara backlands. These are Mark Royden Williams called ‘Smallie’, Stafrei Hopkinson Alexander, Uree Varswyck and Desmond James.

He said that the other two men, Cornelius Thomas and Cobena Stephens, called ‘OJ’ are believed to be in Georgetown but not together. Seelall said that the additional two that were on the run went to visit their mothers and were recaptured.

Further, the Commissioner was questioned about the validity of the story relayed by the Shivtahal and whether he is being given police protection.

He said that the driver is being treated by police as a witness. He added that based on the interview carried out with the driver, there is no cause for concern and as such no special protection is being given.

As it relates to the accuracy of the driver’s story of his abduction, Seelall said that unless Shivtahal would have visited the backlands before, he could not have been lying because he was accurate with the geography of the area.

“As I said before, we are treating him as a witness. There is no concern by the investigators doing the interview and that his description of the geography is spot on. So he would have only known that, either by telling the truth or because he would have went there before and knows the geography.”

Seelall said that the route described by Shivtahal that he took to walk from Land of Canaan East Bank Demerara to Annandale, East Coast Demerara was verified by ranks in the GPF who became familiar with the area during the crime wave which began 2002.

Minister Ramjattan corrected reports that 300 prisoners would have been released. He said that only 91 were released. According to the Minister, 57 prisoners were released using the ‘early release’ method. This relates to convicted criminals that only have about one week to a month left to serve on their sentence. He said that the persons were chosen based on recommendations from the Director of Prisons.

Further, he said that 34 were released following the operation carried out by Magistrates to grant bail to some inmates, decreasing bail amounts and releasing others on their own recognizance.

Ramjattan explained that 83 prisoners were transferred to the Mazaruni Prison; 90 to the New Amsterdam Prison; and 48 were taken to Timehri. The Minister reported that of the prisoners that remained in the fenced section of the Lusignan Prison; 151 were transferred to the interior of the Prison. He said that this leaves a little over 500 prisoners in the fenced section.

The Minister said that efforts are being made to house a certain amount at the Georgetown Prison location after rehabilitative works are done to the concrete prison block which remains standing. He said that by today, those in the fenced section at Lusignan will be transferred to another area which will be fully paved and covered by a shed. He said too that better amenities will be made available at this temporary location.

As it relates to new offenders that are remanded, Ramjattan said that they will be taken to join the other prisoners at Lusignan.

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