Even as the police reported last night that they were following some good leads, the three prisoners who staged a daring escape on Thursday afternoon remained at large up to press time.
Commander of ‘B’ Division, Assistant Commissioner Clinton Conway said that none of the three men – Derrick Busjit, Samuel Fable or Gavin Balkissoon – had been recaptured. He said the police were out in their numbers scouring New Amster-dam and its environs looking for the remand prisoners.
Derrick Busjit, of Black Bush Polder, is charged with last year October’s murder of a man at Black Bush Polder; Fable, of Alness Village, Corentyne, is charged along with two other men with the murder of 27-year-old butcher, Gangaram Busjit last year November at Liverpool, Corentyne. And Balkissoon is charged with a narcotics offence.
The three were able to cut a bar on a moving van and jump onto the Canje Bridge while being escorted from the Albion Court to New Amsterdam. Sources yesterday said that the escape had to be well planned as the men had a hacksaw in their possession. Three constables were in the vehicle at the time of the escape.
Conway said yesterday that they are doing an investigation into the escape with the aim of taking disciplinary actions against any of the officers found culpable. It is understood that senior officers have travelled to the ancient county to investigate the conduct of the police ranks involved.
At the time of escape, there were seven other prisoners in the van including Fable’s co-accused Seenarine Deonarine and Samuel Fraser called ‘Charlie’.
After jumping onto the Canje Bridge, the three men plunged into the river and swam to the other side in the Canje/Smythfield area. They are believed to still be in the area.
This latest escape puts the police under pressure as it comes in the wake of serious problems in the prison system. Over the past year there have been a number of incidents at the Georgetown Prison while there have been several break-outs from the Mazaruni Prison. All nine prisoners who escaped on January 12 from that facility were recaptured, but their escape raised serious questions about prison security. A prisoner who escaped since last year is still on the run and he is suspected to have committed a murder recently. The man, Ronald Daniels who escaped on December 6, 2006, has been terrorizing residents on the Essequibo Coast.
