Two remand prisoners on Wednesday night managed to get down from the top flat of a building in the compound of the New Amsterdam Prisons with bedsheets before jumping over a perimeter fence outfitted with razor wire and up to press time they were still on the run.
Just how Ravendra Samaroo and Lennox Patterson were able to remove a single 1 x 12 board from the wall of the remand dormitory, get eight to ten feet to the ground and then scale a fence that is at least 15 feet high undetected, is still baffling police investigators. This is the latest scandal to rock the prison where several stabbings and gang-related attacks have occurred. Patterson was recently charged with the armed robbery of New Amsterdam Supermarket M.Ali and Sons.
Stabroek News understands that the said section where the men escaped from is deteriorating and on previous occasions prisoners had escaped from the said area. This newspaper was told that prison officials had submitted recommendations for the cell wall from the northern side of the prison to be renovated since it is relatively old but nothing was done.
At this point internal investigations are ongoing and so far the investigators believe that the act was well planned. A source told this newspaper that other cellmates in the said cells claimed that they were asleep when the two men escaped.
Stabroek News was unable to make contact with Prison Director Welton Trotz for his comments on the escape.Police sources have told Stabroek News that statements have already been taken from the prison wardens who were on duty at the time and prisoners.
Wanted bulletins have since been issued for the two escapees both of whom are before the courts for robbery under arms. Police said that 23 year old Samaroo who is of mixed race was last known to be living at Timmers Dam, Angoys Avenue, New Amsterdam, Berbice while Patterson is 26 years, of African origin and was last known to be living at 69 Sisters Village, East Bank Berbice. Samaroo based on the information received by this newspaper is a members of a gang operating within the walls of the prison and is one of several relatives who is incarcerated at the facility.
Investigators believe that the men may have been injured escaping.
Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum urged anyone who has spotted the escapees to immediately contact the police and he assured that the information provided will be treated with strict confidence. He said too that relatives, friends and other individuals who are found to have had or are habouring the escapees will be prosecuted.
Giving an update on the case, he said that there is a unit in Berrbice which is working along with the ranks of that division and intelligence operatives with a view to apprehending the escapees.
He assured that all aspects of the case are currently being investigated.
It would appear that the escape was only unearthed after the men had managed to jump to freedom. The escape would have occurred sometime between 7 and 8 pm.
How the prisoners managed to avoid detection will come in for heavy criticism particularly since prison wardens would have been on duty both in the compound and in the buildings.
Allegations of corruption have in the past been levelled against prison wardens at this prison. One such was that they supplied a gang with acid and cutlasses to launch a bloody attack on other inmates last May leaving several badly wounded.
One of Samaroo’s relatives was said to have had a major hand in the attack. One of the prisoners involved in this attack has been transferred to another prison.
A board of inquiry was set up and recommendations were subsequently made. However these are yet to be made public.
