Police in Berbice were up to press time last night searching for three prisoners who cut a lock on a moving van and jumped out onto the Canje Bridge while being escorted from court to the New Amsterdam Prison.
Those who escaped are: Derick Busjit of Black Bush Polder, Samuel Fable of Alness Village, Corentyne and Gavin Balkisoon of No. 74 Village, Corentyne . The trio was on remand; Busjit and Fable for murders and Balkissoon on a narcotics offence.
Police said that a manhunt has been launched and up to late last night ranks were conducting searches in the Canje/Smythfield area. The prisoners were returning to New Amsterdam after attending court at Albion when they cut off the lock at the back of a jeep they were in and escaped.
Several prisoners over the past two years have managed to break free from police escorts while attending court and escape. Luckily most of them were recaptured.
Fable was on remand for the murder of a 27-year-old butcher, Gangaram Busjit last year November at Liverpool, Corentyne.
Busjit was gunned down in his backyard. Reports were that Busjit got up around 3 am on the day of his murder to go to the pit latrine, which is located not too far from the house. While downstairs he was shot several times. Police have also charged Seenarine Deonarine, 49, of Kilmarnock Village, Corentyne and Samuel Fraser called ‘Charlie’ of Liverpool Village, Corentyne. It is not clear whose murder Derick Busjit is charged with, but Balkissoon is said to be facing a charge of possession of instruments used to smoke cocaine.
The escapes come in the wake of serious problems in the prison system. The Georgetown Prison over the last year has been a hotbed of unrest with rooftop protests and destruction of walls. The latest incident occurred on February 23.
Meanwhile, there have been several break-outs from the Mazaruni Jail. One of the persons who escaped late last year is still on the run and is now a suspect in a murder case.
On January 12, nine men fled from the Mazaruni jail and though they were recaptured within days, the break-out raised serious questions about prison security. In the attempt to recapture the nine, two members of the security forces were injured in a friendly fire incident.
Ronald Daniels who fled from the Mazaruni Jail on December 6 has been terrorizing residents on several parts of the Essequibo and is now wanted for questioning in relation to the murder of an Essequibo logger.
