COMMANDER-in-CHIEF of the Armed Forces, President David Granger, has expressed confidence in the ability of the security forces to ensure the safety of the population following the Sunday afternoon riot at the Camp Street Prison, which resulted in one officer being killed and several others injured.

Mass killer Royden Durant Williams and another murder accused along with three others escaped during the unrest. The Head of State also expressed confidence that the aftermath of the fire which destroyed the Georgetown Prisons and which includes the rehousing of more than 1000 prisoners, will be brought under control.

President Granger in an interview released by the Department of Public Information (DPI), noted that as soon as the authorities received word of the unrest around 16:45 hrs on Sunday, the security forces responded to the situation. He said army troops were deployed, members of the Guyana Police Force were called out, while members of the Guyana Fire Service responded to the scene.

The President was briefed on the incident by Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan, and an emergency meeting with the heads of the security forces was called. “So we were able to craft a response ,” the President said , noting that the immediate task was to ensure safety of the population by ensuring that prisoners remained confined as the situation unfolded.

“I would like to assure Guyanese that the government is working very hard overnight to recapture the prisoners,” President Granger said , noting that efforts are also underway to address the prisoners who were relocated from the gutted Camp Street facility. The President said that indeed, accommodation at Camp Street had been a problem over the years and according to him, government is taking action to address the issue. He said the government took action on the report of a Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into last March’s prison riots at Camp Street.