Up to press time last night the remaining five Mazaruni Prison escapees were still at large but members of the Joint Services are confident that they will be caught by the end of today.
Those still on the run are Dineshwar Sooklall, Kenneth Richardson, and Arsudden Khan called ‘Rocky’, Ryan Rambharose and Randolph Rodrigues.
On Monday afternoon the nine convicts were confronted by members of the joint services while walking along the Karau Trail, Bartica. During the confrontation the men tried to escape as a result of which the servicemen discharged rounds.
Trevor McLean called ‘Footprint’, Anil Sanichar, Royston Reid called ‘Knuckles’ and Alvin Shivnarine eventually surrendered and the others fled further into the jungle.
While shots were being fired, Mc Lean was hit in the shoulder and was later taken to the Bartica Hospital. While there he was treated for his wound and later returned to his cell at the prison.
Mc Lean is serving a sentence for manslaughter, while Sanichar and Shivnarine were imprisoned for murder and Reid for trafficking.
The captured prisoners are under tight security at the Mazaruni Prison.
It is believed that the other convicts are in the same Bartica area where the others were caught. That area is now surrounded and servicemen believe that they are closing in on the men.
The nine broke out of prison around 4:30 pm on Friday during a routine “feed up” of inmates.
Director of Prisons Dale Erskine had told the media at a press conference on Saturday that the escapees had overpowered two guards at the brick prison.
He said that from there the men made their way out of the gate to the fence, where they were spotted by a guard, who raised an alarm. They threatened to chop the guard and then scaled the fence.
Immediately after the alarm had been raised, a joint services response team was activated and within two hours there were between 20 and 30 ranks from the police and prison service on the ground. There were around 67 ranks on the ground up to Sunday.
Several hours after the break-out there were reports that four servicemen had been shot during a confrontation with the escaped prisoners. Prison officers Philip Stevenson and Michael Hosannah and police constables Leonard La Rose and Richeland Blanhum – had to be air-dashed to the city and after receiving treatment were admitted to the Georgetown Public Hospital.
Erskine had told the media during the press conference that investigations had revealed that all four were wounded by friendly fire, which took place around the Skull Point area, not far from the prison.
Anyone seeing or knowing the whereabouts of the men is asked to make contact with the police on the following numbers: 225-8196, 226-6978, 226-1326, 225-3650, 225-6411, 225-6940, 225-6941, 333-2151, 229-2700, 268-2222, 444-6941, 771-4010, 771-4012, 911 or any Police Station. Persons can also contact the Guyana Prison Service on telephone numbers 225-6003, 226-8301 or 226-5855-6.
