Ranks from the Joint Services on Tuesday carried out a search at the Georgetown Prison during which a quantity of prohibited items was unearthed and the Guyana Prison Service has since recommended the dismissal of five prison officers.
Deputy Director of Prisons, Gladwin Samuels told Stabroek News yesterday that while the recommended dismissals of the prison officers are not directly related to Tuesday’s search, it is suspected that they are linked to corrupt practices within the prisons.
“They were tried and the recommendations are now going to the Ministry of Public Security, so they (the prison officers) are presently off the job pending the decision of the Ministry”, Samuels said.
Among the contraband items found during the search on Tuesday were 15 cellphones with chargers, five improvised weapons, a knife, an improvised tattoo machine, one scissors, two garden files, 15 lighters and a small portion of marijuana.
Samuels said as the Guyana Prison Service moves to step up its security measures, searches will also be conducted at other prisons countrywide.
Yesterday morning, a search at the Lusignan Prison discovered two cell phones, cigarette lighters and improvised weapons.
Over the years, several prison officers were charged for smuggling contraband items into the prisons.
Just three days ago, Sophia resident, Kelly Ann Martins was remanded to prison after she was charged with possession of a smoke grenade which police said she was going to smuggle into the Camp Street Prison for death row inmate Mark Royden Williams, called ‘Smallie,’ who was recently convicted for the Bartica massacre killings.
The Joint Services have also conducted several raids following last March’s fatal fire which occurred at the Camp Street prison and resulted in the death of seventeen inmates. On each occasion, a large quantity of prohibited items was found.
