The Board of Inquiry set up to probe the May 23rd attack at the New Amsterdam Prisons that left four inmates injured has completed its investigation and a report with recommendations was yesterday handed over to the Minister of Home Affairs Clement Rohee.
Asked about the findings at a PPP press conference subsequent to the handing over of the report, Rohee told reporters that he was not in a position to disclose that information as he had only just received it.
The minister noted too that he will be studying the recommendations made together with officials of his ministry and the Guyana Prisons, after which a decision on how to proceed will be made.
In response to a question as to why no one has yet been penalized for the presence of weapons (cutlasses and acid were used during the attack) at the facility, he said “I think that an intelligent answer to that would be two-fold; one is that the police ought to take action in that matter and two, the prison authorities would await the outcome of the inquiry’s investigation in order for them to take action that might be deemed necessary so we don’t want to act precipitously and without a report before us”.
Rohee later confirmed that some of the recommendations contained in the report do focus on the prison authorities at the facility. “It does, yes and that has to be discussed between the Ministry of Home Affairs and prisons”.
He assured that the recommendations will; be closely studied and “then we would determine what course of action will be taken. I am not willing to disclose anything further at this point in time”. He stressed the need for the recommendations to be studied first and “then we will act. The report was only presented to me today. I am not prepared to take any unilateral action on my own. I prefer to act in conjunction with the Guyana Prison Service and the Ministry of Home Affairs and if it needs be the police force”.
Prisoners Abdul-Salam ‘Sato’ Azimullah, 31, of Hampshire, Corentyne; Davendra ‘Bara’ Harricharran, 28, of Nigg, Corentyne and Kwame Bhagwandin, 32, and Clarence ‘Wild Hog’ Williams, both of Angoy’s Avenue, New Amsterdam, were attacked by a gang of about five other inmates. There were all hospitalized following the attack and two had to be transferred to Georgetown Hospital for advanced medical care given the serious nature of their condition.
Bhagwandin, who was chopped and doused with acid, is now recuperating at home after his family lodged his $180, 000 bail.
Harricharran is also at home, having posted $1M bail. Williams is said to still be a patient of the Georgetown Hospital while Azimullah, who has been committed to stand trial for murder, has been returned to the prison with both his hands in a cast.
According to Harricharran the attack occurred around 5.30 pm, when the alleged mastermind, identified only as ‘Shoulder,’ managed to subdue a prison warden. The man had indicated to the guard that he wanted water and the unsuspecting guard opened the door to the cell. When his back was turned, the convict reportedly choked him from behind until he was unconscious.
Harricharran had related to Stabroek News that ‘Shoulder’ then took away the guard’s master key and proceeded to open several nearby cells, freeing his four accomplices. He said that 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 Bhagwandin, who was doused with acid and chopped about his body, then left to die.
After carrying out the attack on Bhagwandin, the inmates then proceeded to the upper flat, where the cells housing himself, Azimullah and Williams were located. According to him, the men went to one cell after the other and continued their rampage.
Harricharran said that they were screaming during the attack and this alerted the prison wardens that something was happening. However, he alleged that they did nothing and all he could have done was run for his life.
It was almost an hour between when ‘Shoulder’ overpowered the guard and when the police arrived.
