Prison officers on manslaughter charge
Two assistant superintendents at the Georgetown Prisons were yesterday placed on $500,000 bail each after they were charged with the manslaughter of prisoner Edwin Niles.
Edwin Niles
The men, Kurt Corbin, 30, of N 27 George Avenue, Lamaha Springs, and Gladwin Samuels, 26, formerly of Bartica and of 89 Oronoque Street, Bourda, were charged with the unlawful killing of Niles. They were not required to plead to the charge.
Attorney-at-law Hukumchand in association with Kamini Parag represented the men.
Humkumchand said in his bail application that there is no known factor that points at the two accused not returning for their trial which is the basis on which bail is granted.
He said that because the two men are members of the “correctional services” they understand the principles of the court system and as such will be present for their trial.
Police Prosecutor Denise Griffith then stated that the prosecution was not opposing bail.
Kurt Corbin
When the matter was adjourned the men left the courtroom from where they had entered via its front door and not down the chute as other defendants do.
Attorney-at-law Raphael Trotman was present throughout the proceedings and told the court that he was watching the interest of the victim’s mother, Brenda Nurse, who is the Virtual Complainant (VC) in the matter.
Thirty-four-year-old Niles of Guyhoc Park succumbed to injuries he sustained after reportedly receiving a sound beating when he was found with a quantity of ammunition at the Camp Street prisons. He was reported to have had seven .22 rounds of ammunition in his possession after returning to the prison from a day of labour at Camp Ayanganna. He was hospitalized for nine days before he died. He was serving a three-year sentence for narcotics possession and would have been released sometime this month. A statement from the police had said that the man was admitted to the GPHC following reports that he had been beaten after he was found with the ammunition. According to a post-mortem report Niles died as a result of a blood clot in the lungs due to burns about the back and a fractured left arm.
Gladwin Samuels
Niles’ death has attracted much public comment as it relates to interrogation methods and the conduct of the disciplined services. It was thought that he was severely beaten as the prison officers were concerned about a possible bloody plot to break out of the Camp Street jail.
Corbin and Samuels are to return to court on October 14.
i’m jus concerned about those officers and the way this is being blown out of porportion. my prayers are with them. God Bless
why my fellow guyanese have become so vicious in their thinking
yal just like fineman and skinny no different
Techinically the Prison Service is a part of the JS. I’m afraid that these two will be made examples of to satisfy the public. The JS has been subjected to a lot of accusations of their lack of fairness and professionalism and these two are already convicted before the trial.
Justice is being done, prisoners are people too. A word for evileyes , you never know what can happen to you in life.
petal, a word to note…
in Forums like this, there are aways a few who do two things because of their
shortages:
1. they deliberately take queer opinions and refuse to be thoughtful
and serious in the ensuing discussions, simply to be noticed
2. I cannot detail the second one for the Moderator would “axe” me !
.. but just fil in the gaps when you hear two ignars quarrelling.
OWW MAN THESE two had to beat the man to kill him, prisoners are human being too, Nigel was arrested and serving time for possession of marijuana was to have been released this month, unforunately he met his death by two savage. I hope justice is serve and these two put where they belong.
i”m happy to see that these guys are charged, so that others in authority will learn. this is a turn that i never would believe will ever happen in guyana, democracy and respect for the law is taking hold, slowly we will get there although, there are mistakes along the way.
a change from the pnc era.
EVILEYES, He was in prison for marijuana, he was taken to the Army Camp by supervisors of the prisons. Why? and who had live bullets hanging around like that. Who knows the truth! did he really had the bullets or was it planted on him? How do you think his mother feels to look at her son in hospital in the serious condition and they were prevented to see or speak to her son and brother by the Officers. Guyana has Human Rights, What is the Law in Guyana? No justice in Guyana.
Roger Khan was caught with an illegal spy equipment and he was set free. He ran away from the US Law why? and the Guyana Government knows and did noting. Thank god for America that justice being served.
you know it bothers me when an “investigation” is carried out and then the DPP comes to a confusion that two right thinking and upstanding citizens are made to pay for what maybe have been some one else’s fault. I agree with the poster who said that Dale Erskine needs to resign for presiding over such nonsense… …pls dont think for one minute im saying that Niles deserved to die…no rather that these two gentlemen could not have done it and that they are being used as scapegoats to cover up for the real perps…but i guess thats Guyana.