Minister of Home Affairs Robeson Benn says that based on the location and jurisdiction in which the Mazaruni prison sits, it would be a herculean task for death row murder convict Royden Williams and his cohorts to leave the jurisdiction. 
The Minister, who held an emergency press conference today, outlined that while there are concerns about the possibility of the escapee leaving Guyana’s borders, security at various ports were notified to be on the lookout.
Minister Benn further noted that, “They are still in Guyana and they are still in the area… it is a fairly large area and of course there are normal travel trails in the area and we have these areas covered. In addition we have air, land and sea surveillance deployed in the areas assisting with the search.”
There were however gaps to the current security protocol in place at the Mazaruni Prison. Minister Benn highlighted that the incident caught not only the prison directorate by surprise, but also the Ministry. He highlighted that the current security protocols are under review by the prison service to ascertain ways in which future escapes can be prevented.
“NO effort will be spared, to bring them to justice. Approval has been given for a reward. We want to also encourage people to report any unusual behavior or even if you see something, to the police… These men are violent and hostile,” Benn said.
Meanwhile, Police confirmed today in a statement that, “A boat suspected to have been used in helping the convict to escape has since been recovered by the Joint Services and is in possession of investigators. Also, the person suspected to be manning the boat at the time was arrested and is in custody assisting with the investigations.”
Williams escaped again from Prison yesterday after gunmen, reportedly Venezuelans, opened fire at the Mazaruni Prison. No prison wardens were hurt during the ordeal. The prison service in a statement said that Williams escaped shortly after being visited from a Venezuelan woman.
Back in 2017, he was intercepted in a minibus which was heading east along the public road at Weldaad, West Coast Berbice (WCB) around 20:00 hrs. Durant, who escaped from the Camp Street Prison during a riot on July 9, 2017, had been on the run for over three months.
The wanted man reportedly adopted a new look by removing his dreadlocks, and was living among the residents of West Coast Berbice. According to a statement from the police, Durant was traveling alone and unarmed when he was apprehended during an intelligence-led operation.
