Top Cop sees ‘gross negligence’
High-profile prisoner Jermaine ‘Skinny’ Charles had a three-hour lead before a manhunt was launched for him on Wednesday after he slipped under a seven-inch space left from a loose board in the Sparendaam lock-ups.
The loose board was something the station sergeant had knowledge about over a month ago, the police admitted yesterday.
Commissioner of Police Henry Greene speaking at a press conference at his office on the prisoner’s escape told reporters that the police are convinced that the man’s escape was well planned and while there is no evidence at this time of collusion, which he said is suspected, the officers found guilty of negligence will be interdicted from duty. The Top Cop also admitted that there is no evidence that the mandatory checks were made on the prisoners during the period that they were returned to the lock-ups after making their court appearance.
“The force administration intends to take serious action against those persons found to be negligent. They will be interdicted from duty until such time that their matters are completed, whether it be criminally or departmentally and we are hoping to wrap up those investigations quickly,“ Greene declared.
Recounting the events, leading to Charles’s successful getaway, Greene said at about 10 on Wednesday morning, 33 prisoners including Charles and David Leander called `Biscuit’ were escorted from the Georgetown prisons to the Sparendaam police station. He said the police have a standing order that high-profile prisoners like Charles and Leander must be escorted by the Tactical Services Unit (TSU) and they were in a prison van. He added that the van had a traffic escort, the TSU escort under Inspector Adams and a “C” Division police escort under Inspector Williams.
According to the Com-missioner, the prisoners were also handcuffed to each other but that there were no foot cuffs as the police on the East Coast could not account for same which have been previously used.
Charles was at the Sparendaam court to answer a charge in relation to the murder of then government minister Satyadeow Sawh, his siblings and his security guard. He is also facing other charges of murder including for the Kaieteur News pressmen.
Going into further detail, the commissioner stated that at the station there was an officer, Assistant Superinten-dant Watts who was supervising activity in the compound while station Sergeant Abrams and Corporal Peters were in the barrack room preparing for an inspection which would have been done by them yesterday. He said one constable, Constable Kissoon, was in the enquiries office.
At around 11:30 am, Leander and Charles were taken out for court where they spent only about 10 minutes and then replaced in the lock-ups as the police awaited the magistrate’s signature of the warrants before they departed for the Georgetown Prison.
Signalled
However he said it would appear that the prisoners were left unsupervised and no one visited the lock-ups. During this time the two wooden boards between the lock-ups door and the concrete floor of the cell were lifted and Charles used a seven inch by two and half inch opening to escape.
It was when the police received the warrants at about 3.30 pm and were ready to move the prisoner that they discovered that `Skinny’ had escaped.
Information later revealed that Charles, upon entering the courtyard had signalled to the occupants of two dark coloured cars which were parked in close proximity to the court, whose drivers had then flashed the vehicle lights.
The police believe that Charles may have left in one of the cars.
Negligence
Greene acknowledged that there was gross negligence. He said investigations have since revealed that the female station sergeant was aware that the lock-ups board had been loose about a month ago and she took no action to remedy the situation. He further stated that it also appeared that inspectors in charge of the escorts paid no attention to the high-profile prisoners in the lock-ups.
He said the station is very low and so it is difficult for anyone to see underneath and the prisoner managed to slip away. He told reporters that based on evidence so far, the station sergeant is ‘slack.’ “It was slackness on the part of ranks and the subordinate officer in charge,” he insisted.
However, Greene could not say exactly how many officers would be interdicted from duty but noted that the case was one of serious and gross neglect.
“The two inspectors did not pay enough attention, the enquiries officer paid no attention at all and the guards were not alert and of course there was idleness on the part of security ranks,” he said.
He insisted too that the prisoners should have been handcuffed and shackled but upon further questioning Greene said he would not disclose whether the high- profile prisoners were also shackled while inside the lock-ups. `Skinny’ and `Biscuit’ were in a separate lock-up along with four other murder accused.
Asked about the standard operating procedures when remand prisoners were being held at the lock-ups, Greene said this depended on the profile of the prisoner. “Sometimes we do different things, we call names, check to ensure that they are alright and with the non-violent prisoners sometimes a different approach is taken. Sometimes we look in to see they are there and ok,” he said.
Commenting on general procedures in this regard too, Greene explained that any officer visiting a station had a responsibility to check the lock-ups. The commissioner inspects station once each year.
Four break-outs
Meantime, ‘C’ Division Commander Leroy Brummel who has overall responsibility for the Sparendaam station as well as many others on the coast admitted that the same station had four breakouts in the past, at least one of which was also due to the loose boards.
However when asked of his last visit to the station, Brummel said he visited regularly. When pressed further, the assistant commissioner said he visited the station last week but did not notice the loose boards neither was he informed about it. “I didn’t notice it before and when I checked I didn’t see anything,” he said.
The police say they have no idea where Charles may have gone. His family members are being sought but searches by the police have revealed that they have abandoned their homes. The police also believe that `Skinny’ may have been assisted by relatives who were around the station at the time. Further, Greene told reporters that intelligence sources have indicated that efforts were being made by family members to acquire a firearm to assist in his escape from the authorities. Asked why security was not enhanced in light of this, Greene insisted that security was adequate adding that the man’s escape was due to grave negligence.
The police have advised all members of the public and family members of Charles that it is an offence to harbour any person wanted by the police.
The force has also called on all family members and civic-minded persons not to shelter this fugitive from justice but to hand him over to the authorities as soon as possible.
The police in a statement yesterday said that anyone with information that may lead to the recapture of Charles is asked to contact the police on telephone numbers 225 – 6411, 225 -7625, 225- 6940, 225 -6941, 229 – 2701, 229-2701, 911 or the nearest police station. All information will be treated with strict confidence.