After spending almost, a month on remand, the four Prison Officers, a businessman, and a Venezuelan national charged with conspiring to facilitate the escape of the now late death row inmate, Royden “Smallie” Williams, from the maximum security Mazaruni Prison, were each granted $750,000 bail when they appeared at the Bartica Magistrate’s Court on Thursday.
Charged are Alexander Hopkinson, 58, of Bartica Housing Scheme, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), who is the Superintendent of the said prison; and prison officers: 50-year-old Oldfield Romulus, of Victoria Street, Cumberland Village, East Canje, Berbice, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne); Conroy Hosannah, a 35-year-old, of East Canje, Berbice; and Omar Witherspoon, 26, of Stanleytown, New Amsterdam Berbice, Region Six.
They have been charged along with Rajmohan Autor, called “Chico”, a 48-year-old businessman of Parika, East Bank Essequibo (EBE); and Venezuelan national, Frangeliz Jugandry Flores Perez, 28, of Kitty, Georgetown.
When the defendants made their second court appearance on Thursday, they were each released on bail by Magistrate Christel Lambert, on the condition that they lodge their passports with the Clerk of Court pending the hearing and determination of their trial.
The case was adjourned until July 18 for disclosure of statements.
Hosannah and Witherspoon are being represented by Attorney-at-Law Patrice Henry, Romulus by Attorney Eusi Anderson, and Hopkinson by Attorney-at-Law Bernard Da Silva.
Jointly, they have been charged with conspiracy to commit a felony, contrary to Section 34 of the Criminal Law (Offences) Act, in that; on May 19, in Essequibo, they conspired with other persons unknown to assist Williams in escaping from lawful custody under a sentence of death.
According to reports, Hopkinson was rehired by the Prison Service after retiring.
Romulus is the second-in-charge at the Mazaruni Prison.
It was reported that on the day in question, Perez visited Williams before his well-planned escape.
Williams made a daring escape from the prison with the assistance of heavily armed accomplices. The escape occurred in broad daylight and involved the use of a speedboat.
During the escape, the escort party accompanying Williams was attacked with AK-47 rifles by the individuals on the boat, which was in the Mazaruni River.
No Prison Officer was injured during the ordeal.
Following his escape, a reward of $10 million was announced by the Guyana Police Force (GPF) for any information leading to Williams’s arrest but the convict was shot and killed during a Joint Service operation on June 1 at 47 Miles in Region Seven.
Days prior, two of his accomplices were also shot dead by law enforcement.
Williams was found guilty of killing 12 persons, three of whom were Policemen, during the Bartica Massacre in 2008, and was sentenced to death.
Another death sentence was imposed on him in September 2022 for the murder of Guyana Defence Force (GDF), Corporal Ivor Williams, who was shot dead on January 23, 2008.
Williams had previously escaped from the Camp Street Prison on July 9, 2017, but was eventually recaptured on October 10, 2017, on the Weldaad Public Road, West Coast Berbice (WCB).
At the time of his death, the mass murderer had two appeals against his murder convictions and death sentences pending at the Court of Appeal of Guyana.
He was cremated by the State on June 9.
