…Ramjattan says details of jailbreak will soon unfold

PUBLIC Security Minister, Khemraj Ramjattan, has deemed Sunday night breakout of the Lusignan Prison as an unfortunate incident and declared that “we are soon going to know what happen.” Thirteen prisoners dug their way out of the pasture at the Lusignan Prison sometime between Sunday night and Monday morning.

The minister made the comments while addressing the media at a news conference Monday afternoon. He noted however that he did not wish to identify where the blame should be laid in light of the incident at this time, but noted that ultimately he is responsible, but he said resignation was not something he is currently considering. “Resignation is not a word that I am normally associated with. I have gone through this political career, with a lot, but not necessarily worse than this but equivalent to this and I am still here and I want to believe that I will still be here when all of this is over,” Ramjattan said.

He said the situation is an “embarrassment” for the security sector and the Government itself, which has a number of security experts within its administration. According to Ramjattan those who are directly responsible would be security at the perimeters of the prison, as well as those providing security on the inside. He said that there have been setbacks and lapses which can point to persons being held accountable however, he noted that there is a literal “war” to catch the escapes. He said that dereliction of duty is not among the priorities to focus on at the moment.

Ramjattan said that the Camp Street brick prison has been sufficiently completed, noting that the ideal aim was to construct and administrative building and infirmary at the site. He said however, that the plans have been fast tracked and the remaining 86 prisoners who have been housed in the pasture at the Lusignan facility have been transferred to Camp Street. As he spoke of the gravity of the situation he noted that,” I do not want us to however surrender to these criminals.”

Confidence building
Meanwhile, as the authorities hunt for inmates who escaped from the Lusignan Prison on Sunday night, Police Commissioner (ag) David Ramnarine is appealing to the public to assist the force with any information which would lead to the capture of prisoners at large. The names of the prisoners who escaped on Sunday night between 1:30hrs and 02:00hrs are Clive Forde, Teshawn McKenzie, Winston Long, Kerry Cromwell, Pascal Smith, Odel Roberts, Kendell Skeete, Paul Goriah, Jamal Forde, Jamal Joseph, Rayon Jonas, Jason Howard and Shawn Harris.

Four other prisoners who escaped following a fire which gutted most of the Georgetown Prison on July 9 are Stafrei Alexander, Cobena Stephens aka “OJ”, Mark Royden Williams and Uree Varswyk. Speaking also at the press briefing held at the Ministry of Public Security on Brickdam, Ramnarine said that the police have intensified its operations. ”We have to continue and we will continue, “he said, noting that the force is working on confidence building patrols across the capital city and the outskirts as well as other parts of the country. He said an arrangement is in place where the police force will respond to information it receives. This response, he noted, includes the use of the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) unit of the force. Ramnarine called on the public to cooperate with the authorities. He also called on the citizenry to be patient and vigilant of any strange characters particularly in areas deemed “backlands” . He said that there is information which the police is working on and this may prove useful in their efforts in the aftermath of the recent escape.

Prisons Director, Gladwyn Samuels, clarified that previously 90 prisoners were held at the pasture; however the number rose to 99 following later admissions from the courts. He said on Sunday afternoon around 16:00hrs a lock-down tally was undertaken and 635 prisoners were accounted for in total at Lusignan. He said there were 104 inmates in the new holding area, as well as 136 who have been of the prison population prior to the escape. On Monday morning another tally was done and following checks, it was recognised that 13 inmates of the 99 who were in the pasture could not be accounted for at the facility.

Samuels said the men’s escape route was discovered. He informed the press that prison officers have been manning the facility, including the towers and he noted that ranks of the Guyana Defence Force provide security to the outer cordon. He said he visited the swamped area on Monday and observed the area through which the men escaped. The recent incident has led to a “massive” joint services operation, code named “Clean sweep”, which has been intensified to recapture the 13 new escapees and the four escapees. “We apologise for any inconvenience this massive joint service manhunt will result in. The security services are utilising every means and resources at their disposal to recapture the fugitives,” Ramjattan stressed earlier on Monday during a televised programme.