Akeem Wong, called ‘Bin Laden’, a convict serving a 15-year sentence for rape, has escaped from the Mazaruni Prison in Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) in a brazen act that occurred on Thursday at about 07:20h.
According to the Guyana Prison Service (GPS), Wong and another inmate, Gilbert Gill, under supervision of a prison officer, were performing labour duties in a ‘wood bush’ when Wong requested permission to go defecate, and was granted same by the prison officer.
About five minutes later, a check was made for Wong, and it was discovered that he had gone missing. An alarm was raised, and law enforcement officials widened the search perimeter around the area, but he was not located.
The Guyana Prison Service is continuing the search for Wong in collaboration with other law enforcement agencies.
Wong was 27 years old when he was convicted in 2020 for raping a 14-year-old girl. He pleaded guilty to the charge, which stated that on June 30, 2017, in the county of Demerara, he engaged in sexual penetration of the child.
A probation report had stated that Wong, a resident of Half Mile Wismar in Linden, Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice), had been associated with persons of unsavoury character, and had been involved in many delinquent activities.
According to the probation officer, Police records showed that Wong was wanted for a murder which occurred in Mabaruma, Region One (Barima-Waini), and he was arrested only in 2018, after a wanted bulletin had been issued.
The probation officer had informed the court that Wong had told her he had also previously been charged for break and enter and robbery, but he claimed those charges had been dismissed. (G12)
