More than five weeks after two suspects in the arson attack on the Ministry of Health mysteriously disappeared from the Providence Police station lock-ups, the men remain on the run.
Kurt Thierens called ‘Bage’ or ‘Glasses’ and Colin Jones called ‘Bonny’ were among six other persons who were arrested in connection with the July 17 fire and they were housed separately from the others. They escaped in the early morning hours of July 27 leaving no trail.
Commissioner of Police Henry Greene had said the lock-ups there are very secure as they have bolts and an external door which carries bolts and padlocks for added security.
A woman corporal and a rural constable were on duty on the Sunday night. The woman corporal was in charge of inquiries and the constable was her assistant. According to Greene, the officer said that when she checked sometime after midnight, both prisoners were intact. However, when she checked again at 2.15 am, the prisoners had disappeared. One other prisoner, who was being held in connection with another matter, was in the cell with the men at the time. He was still there when the authorities checked.
“She said the men just disappeared and she don’t know how they came out,” Greene had said and added that the padlocks had disappeared and the bolts were open. Corporal Dianne Chichester has since been charged and is on $300,000 bail.
Meanwhile, Government spokesperson Dr. Roger Luncheon yesterday told reporters that the top cop has admitted to the failure to establish the whereabouts of the men.
The Police Commissioner also undertook to provide some additional information but has been unable to do so either because he did not have it or it is being used in ongoing investigations, Dr Luncheon added.
Cabinet Secretary Luncheon also disclosed that Minister of Health Dr. Leslie Ramsammy has advised that there has been favourable responses both domestically and internationally to sourcing the funding to erect a new facility even better than the one destroyed by the fire, in the same compound.
To date three persons have been charged over the fire. Keith Ferrier who is alleged to have driven the vehicle which transported the men to commit the act, Clayton Woolford and Tedena Bagot have been remanded.
Many others were questioned and placed on self-bail.