The well-planned attack at the New Amsterdam Prison, which left four inmates hospitalised with serious wounds, was carried out by five other inmates who armed themselves with acid and cutlasses.
Stabroek News was told that the prisoner who was implicated in the May 23 attack, identified only as ‘Shoulder,’ had four accomplices.
According to a source close to the prison, ‘Shoulder’ indicated to a prison warden that he wanted water. The unsuspecting guard opened the door to the cell to facilitate his access to a bottle of water. When the warden’s back was turned, the convict reportedly choked him from behind until he was unconscious. The attack began around 5.30 pm.
The source explained that ‘Shoulder’ then took away the master key that the warden had in his possession and proceeded to open several nearby cells, freeing his four accomplices. The source said the quintet then strapped themselves up with pieces of cloth, picked up cutlasses and a metal container which had acid and proceeded to the cell housing Kwame Bhagwandin, who was doused with acid and chopped about his body before being left to die. He sustained the most serious injuries in the attack.
In attempting to explain the layout of the prison, the source said that the cells which housed the quintet and Bhagwandin are located on the ground floor. After carrying out the attack on Bhagwandin, the free inmates then proceeded to the upper flat, where the cells housing Abdul-Salam Azimullah, 31, of Hampshire, Corentyne; Davendra ‘Bara’ Harricharran, 28, and Clarence ‘Wild Hog’ Williams were located. According to the source, the men went to one cell after the other and continued their rampage.
The wounded prisoners were reportedly screaming during the attack, which alerted the prison wardens that something was happening. “They [the wardens]