SENIOR Superintendent Linden Cornette said the Prison Administration is concerned over the lengthy delay in trials for prisoners who have been in custody since 2007.

“It’s five years, Your Honour and the hearings for Delon Thompson, Elroy Grenville and Andy Thomas have not been called at the High Court,” the officer pointed out, when making the Jail Delivery at the Berbice Supreme Criminal Court, on Monday afternoon.
The listing revealed that Grenville, 32, and Adams, 22, are charged, separately, with murder while Thompson is committed to stand trial for robbery under arms.
However, State Prosecutor Diana Koulesar told Justice Dawn Gregory-Barnes that, with respect to Grenville, the depositions have been received but the matters in relation to the other persons have been referred to the lower Courts since last September.
Consequently, she is unable to report on the status of the preliminary inquiries.
Meanwhile, the Officer-in-Charge of New Amsterdam Prison said, no female prisoners are listed to be tried at the Berbice Assizes following the closure of the February criminal sessions on Monday.
42 persons who are all requesting early trials at the June sessions which opened, yesterday, with the traditional ceremonial parade and march past by members of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) ‘B’ Division, from where Justice Gregory-Barnes took the salute.
Cornette said there are 37 murder accused, one indicted for possession of firearm without licence, one for rape, two for robbery under arms and one for escaping from lawful custody.