FOUR prison officers are among six persons who were remanded to prison on Thursday for their alleged involvement in a conspiracy to aid the escape of death row inmate and convicted mass murderer, Mark Royden Williams called “Smallie.”

The prison officers are head of security of the Mazaruni Prison, Alexander Hopkinson; Omar Whitherspoon; Conroy Hosannah, and Oldfield Romulus.

Meanwhile, a female visitor, Frangeliz Jugandry Flores Perez of Alexander Street, Kitty and a businessman, Rajmohan Autar called “Chico” were also charged.
It is alleged that on May 19, the sextet conspired with each other and persons unknown to assist with the escape of Williams.

The defendants appeared before Magistrate Crystal Lambert at the Bartica Magistrate’s Court. They were not required to plead to the charge and were remanded to prison until June 26.
Hopkinson was represented by attorney-at-law Bernard DaSilva. A reward of $10 million is currently being offered for any information that can lead to the recapture of Williams.

Persons with any information can contact the police on telephone numbers: 225-6940, 225-8196, 2252317, 227-1149 or the nearest police station.

Williams, known as “Smallie,” escaped from the Mazaruni Prison at around 14:30 hrs with the assistance of heavily armed men in a speedboat.

According to the Prison Service, Williams was returning to the Sibley Hall prison on an ATV and was in shackles after receiving a visit from a female, when the escorting ranks came under gunfire. It is alleged that the ranks dismounted their ATV and returned fire at the assailants.

It is further alleged by the Prison Service that one of the boat occupants came to shore and continued to discharge several rounds towards the prison officers. Williams, who was in foot chains, managed to run towards the riverbank and jumped into the river, the Prison Service claimed.

The gunmen assisted him into the speedboat which headed upstream past Itaballi Landing, while prison guards and police undertook pursuit. No prison officer was injured during the ordeal.
In February 2017, Williams was sentenced to death when a jury found him guilty of eight counts of murder in relation to the 2008 Bartica massacre, in which a dozen persons, including three police officers were shot dead.

Several months later, in July 2017, Williams escaped from the prison at Camp Street, Georgetown during a riot. It is believed that he was the mastermind.

However, he was nabbed on October 9, 2017, at Weldaad, West Coast Berbice (WCB), while travelling in a public minibus.

In 2013, Williams was acquitted after a 12-member jury found him not guilty of the charges against him in relation to the 2008 Lusignan massacre, which claimed the lives of 11 persons, including five children.

Last year, he was sentenced to death for the 2008 murder of Guyana Defence Force (GDF) officer Ivor Williams.