Intelligence gathering underway as hunt continues for escapees – acting Director

Mazaruni Prison break

The Guyana Prison Service is currently gathering intelligence and any pertinent information that will lead to the recapture of four high-profile inmates – who escaped from the Mazaruni Prison less than a week ago.
This is according to acting Director of Prisons, Nicklon Elliot who told Guyana Times on Saturday that checks are being made along with other efforts to locate the suspects as soon as possible.
A father of one inmate has since confessed to helping his son and the three other convicts after they broke out of the high-security jailhouse. When asked whether he will face prosecution, he informed, “The Police is currently investigating and they’ll determine the way forward on that.”
Last Tuesday, 25-year-old Imran Ramsaywack of Adelphi Village, East Canje, Berbice; 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; and 22-year-old Rayon Jones of Timehri, East Bank Demerara (EBD), broke out of solitary confinement and escaped from the Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) penitentiary.
The Guyana Police Force said the father of 22-year-old Jones, Ralph Jones, was further interrogated as part of ongoing investigations by the GPF and the Joint Services, during which he disclosed that he aided their escape.
The elderly Jones told investigators that after escaping from the Mazaruni Prison, his son contacted him by telephone and informed him of his actions.
“Ralph Jones further admitted that sometime after 01:00h the following day, all four of the escapees showed up at his house, where he provided each of them with a change of clothing. He, in turn, collected the clothes that they were wearing and dumped them in an alleyway aback his house in Fourth Avenue Bartica [Region Seven],” the Police stated.
According to the missive, Police investigators on Thursday went to the location mentioned by the father, where they found a white salt bag that contained a number of items suspected to be belongings of the escapees. These include clothing, footwear, deodorant, topes, pillow and pillowcases, along with a bottle of Red Star rub, a toothbrush and a food bowl.
Nevertheless, the Joint Services are continuing the search for the escapees, and encourage all law-abiding citizens to report to the nearest Police station or call 455-2238, 455-2222, 455-2241, 226-4585, 225-2700, 225-3650 or 911, should they be seen. The Police assure that all information will be treated with strict confidence.
Ramsaywack and Lyte were on death row, while Gouveia and Jones were convicted for manslaughter. Police have since issued wanted bulletins for the men, who will now face “escaping from lawful custody” charges.
On Wednesday, Director of Prisons (ag) Nicklon Elliot told this publication that the Prison Officers who were on duty when four high-profile convicts escaped were being questioned by the Police.
Asked whether there is any suspicion of collusion between the officers on duty and the escaped prisoners, the Prison Director posited that this will be determined by the probe.
Elliot confirmed that the authorities had received information that the prisoners might have stolen a boat from a nearby village to aid in their escape. A team was dispatched to the location to investigate. This newspaper understands that the boat owner was questioned for failing to report that the vessel was missing, but was subsequently released. Other facts revealed that the boat owner’s relative was killed by one of the escapees. (G12)