More charges have been suggested and twenty-one recommendations dealing with security enhancement, prisoners’ welfare and administrative changes are contained in the report of the board of inquiry that was set up to investigate the January 12 Mazaruni Prison jail-break.
Home Affairs Minister, Clement Rohee told Stabroek News yesterday that the recommendations would all be studied and as far as practicable they would be vigorously implemented.
Rohee said that the board also made some damaging recommendations and observations but he declined to comment on those.
Speaking to Stabroek News outside of the National Assembly yesterday Rohee said that the report addressed administrative issues, security and prisoners’ welfare as well as negligence by prison officers.
Additionally, Rohee said that the board recommended that criminal, departmental and administrative charges be brought against some of the prison officers. Two officers have already been charged for negligently allowing the nine prisoners to escape.
In the area of prisoners’ welfare, Rohee said that members of the board interviewed some of the prisoners and they made certain demands. “Prisoners always have demands and the board listened to them and some of those demands were reflected in the report,” the minister said. He further stressed that there are some damaging observations.
Rohee said that the report would be tabled at cabinet for further deliberations after which appropriate actions would be taken.
On Wednesday the six-member board handed over their report to Rohee.
Former Acting Commissioner of Police, Floyd Mc Donald in presenting the report said that they were able to arrive at an objective conclusion, al-though admitting that at times members had argued back and forth. Mc Donald noted that the recommendations were all valid and he hoped that it would help to improve the situation at the Mazaruni prison as well as other prison facilities in the country.
Rohee had expressed gratitude to the board for conducting the enquiry, noting that he was pleased that they had concluded their tasks within the given timeframe.
The police had also conducted an investigation and this led to the two prison officers being charged.
The board, which began its work on January 24, was expected to enquire into several issues including the circumstances prior to, during and after the escape, all matters relating to and incidental to the escape and the existing security arrangements in respect of the custody, management and control of prisoners.
Around 4.15 pm on January 12, nine prisoners escaped during a routine feeding exercise. Those who escaped were Dineshwar Sooklall, Kenneth Richardson, Asrudden Khan C/D “Rocky,” Anil Sanichar, Ryan Rambharose, Trevor McLean, C/D “Footprint,” Alvin Shivnarine, Randolph Rodrigues, and Royston Reid, C/D “Knuckles.” Sooklall, Richardson, Khan, Rodrigues, Reid and McLean were all serving sentences for man-slaughter; and Sanichar and Shivnarine were serving sentences for murder, while Reid was serving time for trafficking and Rambharose for larceny.
Reports are that the inmates overpowered two guards at the brick prison.
The men then 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 they 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. All nine escapees were recaptured within two weeks and some have since been charged and sentenced.