Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the murder of a prisoner at the Lusignan Prison, East Coast Demerara (ECD).
The dead man has been identified as Victor Soomaru, 40, who was on remand for trafficking 1.9 grams of cannabis. Soomaru, of Lot 85 Gordon Street, Kitty, Georgetown, was only admitted to the prison on February 1, 2021.
According to the Guyana Prison Service (GPS), on Thursday, February 4, at about 21:05hrs an alarm was raised by prisoners housed in Unit #1 at the Lusignan Prison (Quarantine Section).
The officers on duty responded and it was reported that Soomaru was lashed with a piece of brick wrapped in a towel while he was asleep by another remanded prisoner.
Soomaru was immediately taken out of the Unit and escorted to the Prison Infirmary where he was seen by the medical personnel on duty and given the necessary medical attention.
He was later referred to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation for further medical treatment and was seen and examined by a doctor on duty.
On February 5, at about 10:30hs, Soomaru died while he was still receiving medical attention at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation.
Prisoner Soomaru was housed in Unit # 1 along with three other prisoners including the alleged accused.
The body was taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation mortuary awaiting a post-mortem examination to be conducted.
The suspect was relocated.
