…prison locks tampered with, cell bars cut
Four prisoners, including inmates on death row, who were convicted for murder and manslaughter, have escaped from the high-security Mazaruni Prison in Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni).
Those who escaped are 25-year-old Imran Ramsaywack of Adelphi Village, East Coast Berbice (ECB); 44-year-old Kenrick Lyte whose last known address was Grant Good Intent, Lower Pomeroon River; 22-year-old Samuel Gouveia of Goedverwagting, East Coast Demerara (ECD), and 22-year-old Rayon Jones of Timehri, East Bank Demerara (EBD).
The four prisoners made the escape from the maximum-security prison at about 07:00h on Tuesday.
Ramsaywack and Lyte were on death row while the other two were serving time for manslaughter.
Police have since issued wanted bulletins for the men who will now face an “Escaping from Lawful Custody” charge.
In a statement on Tuesday, the Guyana Police Force appealed to members of the public, relatives and friends to report any relevant information as to the whereabouts of these escapees so that they can be captured and returned to the prison.
An appeal was also made to the escapees to surrender to the Police or relevant authority, to avoid any serious confrontation that is likely to result in the use of force.
The Guyana Prison Service has since warned the public that it is a criminal offence to harbour fugitives.
In a statement following the escape, the GPS said that at about 07:15h during the unlocking of the Brick Prison – Solitary Division – it was observed that the padlock to the entrance gate was tampered with, and further checks revealed that two bars within the cell were cut.
Prison authorities have since said that the Emergency Action Plan as it relates to the escape of inmates was immediately activated and a joint patrol was established at the outer perimeter of the prison and a search has been launched by the Joint Services to recapture the four escapees. Water, air and land patrols are being conducted.
The Joint Services is asking anyone who might have information that may lead to the arrest of Imran Ramsaywack, Kenrick Lyte, Samuel Gouveia and Ryan Jones to contact the Police on telephone numbers 455-2238, 455-2222, 455-2241, 226-4585, 225-2700, 225-3650, 226-1326, 911 or the nearest Police station.
In March 2020, 29-year-old Christopher Punch of El Dorado Village, West Coast Berbice (WCB), had escaped from the Mazaruni facility.
On the morning of his escape, the man had requested to go ease his bowels.
Police had said while the supervising prisoner was assembling all of the prisoners to return to their respective cells, it was discovered that Punch was missing. An alarm was raised and the Guyana Police Force was summoned. Punch was recaptured almost two months after escaping.
He is serving four two-year sentences on a larceny charge.
