Director of Prisons, Gladwin Samuels on Saturday disclosed that pri-soners at the Lusignan penitentiary attempted to kill two fellow inmates on Friday but were thwarted.
They managed to wound Aszim Shivgobin who was on remand in relation to the murder of Canadian citizen Nicholas Jaipaul. Shivgobin had to be hospitalized at the GPHC.
Samuels yesterday told Stabroek News that Shivgobin has since been discharged from the hospital and will visit for checkups.
In a statement on Saturday, Samuels said that at about 10.15 pm on Friday, Shivgobin who was housed in Holding Bay 2 was assaulted by two prisoners. He sustained lacerations to “all extremities and chest”. He was able to identify his attackers and other prisoners were also able to confirm their identities, the statement said.
Samuels’ statement said that a quick response by officers on duty with the assistance of other prisoners foiled an attack on a second prisoner and resulted in both lives being saved. The improvised weapon reportedly used has been retrieved. Samuels said it was alleged that Shivgobin and the other prisoner were targeted for execution by another prisoner.
Asked yesterday whether the second targeted prisoner was also an accused in the Jaipaul murder, Samuels answered in the affirmative.
Shivgobin and two others, Charran Sewdhan, also known as ‘Vicky’, 26, and Moonasar Beharry, also known as ‘Brick Head’, 56, of Lot 125 Section ‘A’, Number 70 Village, Coren-tyne, are currently on remand for the murder of Jaipaul.
The men were charged jointly with the crime on August 28th.
The burnt remains of Jaipaul were found in bushes along the main access road at Moleson Creek, Upper Corentyne on August 20th, days after he was reported missing.
Jaipaul arrived in Guyana in January with his grandfather, Ramkissoon Jaipaul, 86. The duo were residing at the grandfather’s house in Number 69 Village, Corentyne, and were expected to leave the country in May but were forced to remain after flight restrictions were issued due to COVID-19.
Ramkissoon had said that he left Nicholas awake and went to bed on Sunday, August, 16, around 7.30 pm. However, the next morning he received a strange call asking if he was aware that his grandson was not in the house, which led him to file a police report.
He noted that he was never asked for any ransom but he had suspected that that was the reason behind the call.
Just days ago, the results of DNA testing confirmed that the burnt remains which were found were those of Jaipaul. The DNA testing was conducted by the Guyana Forensic Science Laboratory
