Rohee awaits reports on inquiries as manhunt continues
MINISTER of Home Affairs, Mr. Clement Rohee told the media, on Wednesday, that he was still awaiting the reports and recommendations from the two Boards of Inquiry appointed to investigate the escapes from New Amsterdam prison in Berbice. He added that he was hoping to receive them shortly.
Up to when Rohee spoke, there was no reported sightings of four fugitives who broke out of the penitentiary on June 10 but a Joint Services manhunt for them was continuing.
Thirty-two-year-old Kevin Narine alias ‘Long Hair’ and also known as Ram Sookdial and Ayodhiaram, of Number Seven Village, West Coast Berbice; Rickford La Fleur or Rickford Williams, 35, of Circle Street and Vijay Seenarine called Vijay, 33, of Little India, from Skeldon, as well and Vinood Gopaul, 19, of Lot 34 Yakusari, Black Bush Polder, all of Corentyne, Berbice were discovered missing when their cells were opened about 07:00 hrs that day.
Narine had, recently, been sentenced to nine years imprisonment for robbery under arms on the high seas; La Fleur was remanded on two separate murder charges and two charges for drug trafficking, while Seenarine and Gopaul were on remand, too, the former charged with carnal knowledge and the latter with murder.
Gopaul had previously broken out of the same jail with others in 2007, also while on remand.
Police, seeking public assistance to recapture the quartet, are asking anyone who may have information leading to their arrest to telephone numbers 333-2151-4, 333-2191, 333-3502, 333-3876, 225-6411, 226-6978, 911 or contact the nearest station.
Informants have been assured of strict confidence.
The flight to freedom by the four follows that of Surinamese Paul Doerga, who is alleged to have been aided by prison officer Orlando Jaundoo.
Doerga is a convicted fraud appealing a three year imprisonment sentence while Jaundoo is a training instructor at the penal institution, They were apprehended in Nickerie by Surinamese Police on June 4 and the latter returned to await trial here.
The former is in the Surinamese Police custody.
The Boards of Inquiry are headed by Major General (ret’d) Norman Mc Lean and Police Crime Chief, Assistant Commissioner Seelall Persaud, respectively.