(Trinidad Guardian) In what is being touted as the greatest escape in the history of the country, alleged fraudster Vicky Nirupa Boodram walked out of the Arouca Prison on Monday afternoon and has not been seen since.
Boodram, 35, whose last known address was 34 Gambal Street, Siparia, had been on remand since March 2016 after being denied bail on 39 fraud charges. She has 175 fraud matters before the court beginning in 2012.
According to both police and prison sources, Boodram was taken from the prison on the authority of a court order. Sources said two police officers attached to the Tunapuna Police Station, which is charged with responsibility for prisoners scheduled to appear in court from the Northern Division, went to the Women’s Prison and removed Boodram on Monday. The officers, a male and a female, went in a marked police vehicle and were accustomed to collecting prisoners at Golden Grove for court.
Prison officials said they thought nothing untoward about the officers coming with what they presumed were legitimate court documents stating Boodram was scheduled to attend night court. Prior to the officers’ arrival at the prison just after 5 pm, prison officials were telephoned and told Boodram had secured bail in all her matters.
After collecting Boodram, the male officer returned to the station where he dropped off his colleague and left with Boodram. Neither he nor Boodram has been seen since. The female officer was being questioned by officers of the Professional Standards Bureau up to last evening.
According to a release issued by the T&T Police Service yesterday, a nationwide search is under way for Boodram and the accomplice cop as her release was unauthorised. Security forces at all ports of entry and exits were put on alert.
In March last year, Boodram was charged an additional 39 times outside of 136 charges she had already accumulated.
Boodram was facing a total of 175 fraud related charges, including demanding property by virtue of a forged instrument, larceny, uttering a forged document and money laundering.
Contacted yesterday, ACP Mc Donald Jacob, who has responsibility over the Northern Division, where two prison escapes took place within less than 24 hours between Monday and yesterday, said the incidents were “unfortunate.”
In a brief telephone interview with the T&T Guardian, Jacob said the two incidents were not connected, as Boodram’s case appeared to have been well planned while the other was a seized opportunity. Regarding Boodram, he said the female officer was acting on the advice of her male colleague when she went to the prison and thought nothing of his actions. She was only made aware of what transpired when she arrived at work yesterday morning and was told the male officer and Boodram were missing.
