… says greater focus being placed in the Linden area
Acting Police Commissioner, David Ramnarine on Thursday confirmed that searches are still ongoing for the three remaining prison escapees, and he urging citizens to continue to cooperate with ranks.
According to Ramnarine during an interview with media operatives on Thursday at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Headquarters, several searches have been launched over the past few weeks as a result of information provided to police as to the whereabouts of Lusignan Prison escapee, Paul Goriah.
“Over the last few weeks, we have launched a number of operations which basically include searches, combing of certain back lands. The last I recall, well in fact there were two a few days ago in the Yarrowkabra area, where we got the information that Paul Goriah and someone was seen in that area,” he explained.
He further noted that after two lengthy consecutive searches led by a senior officer and his team, there has still not been any success.
However, he asserted that at this point, a bigger focus is being placed in the Linden area, where it is believed that Bartica Massacre murder convict, Mark Durant Williams aka Smallie is hiding out.
“There is a bigger focus that’s going on and that’s in the Linden area,” Ramnarine posited, while noting that efforts to disrupt possible support for Williams in the area, has proven to be successful.
“We had done some work to kind of disrupt possible support [for the fugitive], which has proven to be effective. It is that disruption that led to the demise- if I can put it that way- of Uree Varyswyck.”
Ramnarine explained that even with the $5M reward still open to persons who can lead to the whereabouts of the wanted men, there is nothing definitive to report as yet.
Nevertheless, he maintained that the Guyana Police Force is continuing to do all they can to ensure the wanted men are brought back into lawful custody.
On July 9 2017, several hardcore prisoners staged an attack on correctional officers at the Camp Street Prison and set the building alight, before making good their escape.
Following that disastrous fire, in excess of 1,000 prisoners were transferred to the Lusignan Prison walled area, where another set of prisoners managed to escape.
The Police were able to recapture most of the prison escapees while the others were subsequently transferred to other penitentiaries. The “hard core” ones from the walled area were returned to the rehabilitated Camp Street brick block.
However, while most of the criminals were recaptured –and one recently killed during an exchange of fire with police at Linden- Williams, Goriah and Stephens remain at large.(Ramona Luthi)
