The first witness who was called to the stand today by the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into the deadly rioting at the Camp Street Prison stated that he had no knowledge of any attempt by authorities at the penitentiary offering to rescue the inmates despite their cries and pleas for help.
Dwayne Lewis, a prisoner who is presently on remand for manslaughter, during today’s public hearings testified that members of the Guyana Prison Service (GPS) did not make any effort to attend to the fire last Thursday, nor did they assist prisoners whose lives were being threatened.
Lewis told the Commission that he was unaware of any attempts by the prison administration to offer assistance to prisoners despite their repeated calls for assistance. He said he was in the very cell where the fire began but was unaware of how or who started the blaze, which resulted in the death of 17 other inmates.
With regards to the seizure of the cellular phones and narcotics which were unearthed during a raid at the lockups the day before the tragic incident occurred, the prisoner said that the items should not have been taken away from the inmates in the first place.
According to Lewis, having access to the cellular phones and drugs brought a sense of ‘comfort’ and ‘calm’ to those who are/were behind bars since many of the inmates are beyond frustrated.
He contended that the presence of these items within the walls of the Camp Street Prison help in ‘maintaining order’.
VERY VERY IMPORTANT… THE POSTMORTEM FOR EACH PRISONER THAT DIED IN THE RECENT RIOT MUST BE MADE PUBLIC NOW… NOW..BEFORE THE COI GETS FURTHER
Regardless of what, help should have been given when request was made by the Prisoners. After all, they are Human .They were left to suffer and die so cold bloodedly .No mercy was shown to them. Is this one of APNU/AFC co-lateral damage?
Cleve::they can call the shots when we fail in our responsibility towards them. How did they get contraband?..The system failed them and us…
this guy is on death row, treat him no different…jail is jail in any part of the world
Witness claims no attempt was made by Prison authorities to save inmates during deadly blaze…..
You set fire to a place with doors and windows you cant open? You dumb and this is why you in prison in the first place.
—Prison stated that he had no knowledge of any attempt by authorities at the penitentiary offering to rescue the inmates despite their cries and pleas for help.—-
If you ask the prisoner how he got to be in prison he will tell you he has absolute no knowledge too.
Bet you he also has absolute no knowledge how the cell phones- drugs – matches- lighters and missiles got in the cell with them.
It would appear as thought Harmon and Ramjattan made them some bold promises and you bet prisoners will be looking forward.
Politicians do and say things on the spot for political gains and popularity but in the end it always backfires their their faces so its just a matter of time when politicians wont be able to deliver.
If you want “comfort” then dont do the crime so you can live free on the out.
Once you do a crime and is found guilty then you give up your rights to “comfort”
Harmon and Ramjaatan will soon find that out.
I agree,! and the prison should have no walls and razor wire so the prisoners can stay calm ,with the drugs and cellphones they have, and be able to take regular outings to rob and kill people to keep them happy. What rubbish|!!!. I hope the commission realize that 99.99% of prisoners will lie through their teeth , to improve their conditions, of incarceration. So will 99..9% of the prison guards, to protect their lucrative runnings, with drugs, cellphones, and other paid for favours to prisoners. All I wish to tell the commission is that 17 people were murdered , and second degree murder charges will have to be placed on either prisoners, or prison guards, or a mixture of both , that is of course if justice is to be served and not only SEEM to be charged
The prisoner said that drugs and cell phones should not have been seized.
Don’t know whether to laugh or cry. Since when criminals think that they can call the shots?