Home Affairs Minister, Robeson Benn has issued a call to prison escapees to surrender to lawful custody.
“I wish to call on all persons who have escaped from lawful custody and who are now being sought after by the Guyana Police Force and other law enforcement agencies, to turn themselves in and by so doing, avoid any further grief with respect to escaping from the Prisons,” he said in a statement yesterday.
He also asked that relatives and friends of the escapees to
not provide any support, and to report the existence of any escaped prisoner to the police.
“Moreover, I wish to reassure all concerned, that we are working to improve the living conditions and the rehabilitation efforts with respect to the Prison System in Guyana. The public is also reminded that escaped prisoners once recaptured are expected to have an additional three years added to their sentence through the Courts for the offense of escaping from lawful custody under the Criminal Law (Offences) Act Chapter 8:01. Moreover, those who aid and abet escape prisoners can face the prospect of three to seven years in jail or life imprisonment.”
The Minister’s call for surrender comes days after two prison escapees and a woman were shot dead aback Better Hope on the East Coast of Demerara.
The men were identified as 25-year old Imran Ramsaywack and 22-year old Ryan Jones, who both had escaped from the Mazaruni Prison in Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) on February 16, 2021. The woman has since been identified as 49-year-old Savita Rajkumar, called ‘Debbie.’ Rajkumar is believed to be a “close acquaintance” of one of the fugitives.
