..$10M reward still being offered

SINCE the Guyana Police Force (GPF) $10M reward was offered for information leading to the arrest of four escapees who remain at large, several telephone calls have trickled in with little or no tangible leads, say the Police.

From the calls received nothing was garnered, as such the lawmen continue to appeal to members of the public who might be in receipt of information to contact the police on the numbers listed below.

The Police say it is vital that they foster a good relationship with the community since the capture of the fugitives depends heavily on community/police relations.
.
Police said anyone with information that may lead to the recapture of these escapees, is asked to contact the Police on telephone numbers 225-6411, 225-8196, 225-2227,
226-1389, 227-2128, 227-1149, 226-7065, 699-0869, 600-3019, 699-0867,
669-4606, 603-3261 or the nearest police station. All information will be treated with strict confidentiality.

Despite wanted bulletins being issued for the fugitives the police have had no success as it relates to their whereabouts and issued a reward on August 9, as well as urged citizens to share information which might lead to the capture of those on the lam.

On July 9, 2017 prisoners set alight the buildings housing inmates on remand and those on death row (condemned) and escaped, but some have since been recaptured except for those four.

During the fire when several prisoners escaped they abducted 22-year-old Matthew Shivtahal, a taxi driver on Hadfield Street and he claimed that they were travelling in the backlands.

Shivtahal related that after the men abducted him they abandoned his car in North Ruimveldt and entered the backlands on foot.

He said that they walked south, eventually arriving at Land of Canaan, East Bank Demerara, but he was released after they encountered a trench which he could not swim across.

The young man told reporters that some of the men were planning to head up the highway. A military base sits a few miles away from the highway where two notorious criminals – Rondell “Fineman” Rawlins and Jermain “Skinny” Charles — were killed in 2008.

The four escapees who Shivtahal claimed abducted him were: Mark Royden Durant called Royden Williams or “Smallie”; Uree Varswyck known as Malcolm Gordon; Stafrei Hopkenson Alexander; and Desmond James.
Both James and Alexander were recaptured by law enforcement at separate locations in the country.

Royden Williams was convicted of eight counts of murder and four counts of manslaughter and sentenced to death by Justice Roxanne George S.C., now Chief Justice. He was part of the notorious “Fineman” gang that had carried out three massacres, claiming the lives of 31 persons.

That gang was believed to have trained in the backlands to use weapons, many of which were identified as those which went missing from the army in 2006.

Shivtahal said that the men did not know exactly where they were at all times. “They find places where they know. They cutting and going. Some of them said they going down the highway.”

He also recalled seeing the men using cell phones throughout the journey while two of them were armed with what appeared to be 9millimetre pistols. The Joint Services have since said that only one pistol was missing from the armoury at the now-demolished Georgetown prison.

Meanwhile, Minister Ramjattan told a press conference that every effort was being made to recapture the escapees – all of whom are murder accused and/or convicts.
“Every effort is going to be made to catch those escapees. The Joint Services will be doing their best to hunt them down and bring them in” the minister said.
This was also the assurance of Police Commissioner, Seelall Persaud, who shared that the joint services were currently conducting several operations to recapture the escapees.
“At a Joint Services level, we have embarked on several operations which are consistent with the plan,” he said.
Anyone with information on the whereabouts of the escapees are asked to contact the nearest police station. It is a criminal offence to harbour fugitives.