With the Lusignan Prison recording another prison escape, as well as the murder of an inmate, within the last week, Acting Director of Prisons Kevin Pilgrim, has acknowledged that security has always been an issue of concern at the facility because of its infrastructure.
During last week, remanded murder accused Shaheed Ally, was beaten by fellow inmates while in custody at the Lusignan Prison, hours after he was taken to the facility. The fatal beating took place around 10.58 pm in Holding Bay 1 of the prison. Ally was one of the men charged last Tuesday for the 2004 murder of Albouystown businesswoman Sumintra Dinool, 65, whose body was discovered by one of her sons in their home at the junction of Sussex and Barr streets.
Meanwhile, on Sunday, convicted inmate John Lambert escaped from the prison, two days after he was sentenced to four years imprisonment for the possession of narcotics for the purpose of trafficking.
The Guyana Prison Service (GPS), in a statement, had said that at approximately 3:39 am, Lambert, 24, of Lot 158 North Haslington, East Coast Demerara, escaped from the Lusignan Holding Bay 3, after he scaled the south-eastern fence.
Although Lambert was spotted by a rank manning the observation post who called out and asked him to desist, the escapee, a former soldier in the Guyana Defence Force, continued with his getaway plan. While the rank was forced to discharge several rounds in his general direction, Lambert was able to dodge the bullets.
The aforementioned incidents have served to, once again, raise questions about the level of security provided at the facility.
Contacted for a comment yesterday, Pilgrim told Stabroek News that security has not only been an issue of concern at the Lusignan Prison but in fact at all the prisons across the country.
As such, he said recommendations were made by the Director of Prisons, Gladwin Samuels, to improve the physical structure of the jail, which will be costly.
“The security of Lusignan is always an issue of concern because of the general infrastructure at Lusignan. So with regards to any other recommendations, most of the recommendations are to actually increase the physical structure there, which will carry a cost,” Pilgrim said.
Pilgrim added that as it relates to the operational issues, instructions were given to the Officer-in-Charge of the prison to pay close attention to all security related issues, with a view to strengthening security at the location.
Investigations underway
Ally, 30, a resident of Albouystown, sustained a fractured skull during the attack. He was taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where he underwent surgery and was admitted to the male surgical ward. He succumbed to his injuries around 8.50 pm last Friday.
An autopsy performed yesterday showed that he died as a result of a fractured skull and brain haemorrhaging.
While details surrounding the incident remain unclear, a prison official had previously informed Stabroek News that investigations revealed that Ally was allegedly attacked and beaten by fellow inmates, hours after he was transported to the prison.
Pilgrim on Monday said that so far, the prison has provided an initial report of the incident, which is being investigated by the police.
“…..The matter is currently being investigated by the police. The only role the prison will play is to facilitate access to the prison to officers and if there are prisoners to give any statements or to assist the police with any other information,” he said.
Once this is completed, he added that the police will make the necessary recommendations and the charges, if any, will be instituted.
Pilgrim refused to comment further on the matter.
However, a police source close to the investigation related to Stabroek News that the police are yet to identity Ally’s attacker(s).
The source explained that in his statement to the police following the incident, Ally did not identify the perpetrators of the act. As such, the source said the police are currently in the process of reviewing CCTV footage, in an effort to identify the suspects.
The footage, this newspaper was told, shows a number of inmates entering the area where Ally was being kept prior to the incident. However, their identities are not clear and investigators will have to enhance the footage.
In relation to Lambert, the police and prison authorities have since issued a wanted bulletin for him. However, up to yesterday afternoon, he remained on the run.
Pilgrim on Monday said that members of the Joint Services have since received picked up several leads on possible sightings of Lambert.
“We are still in Joint Services operational mode, following the leads. We are having several leads with regards to possible sightings…based on information that we have been gathering, we are acting on it. Not independently but in joint operation mode,” Pilgrim said.
