The manner in which remand prisoners are being transported to courts on the West Demerara is a cause of concern for some observers, who said that it was unsafe.
This was underscored on Tuesday as prisoners who had matters at the Leonora Magistrate’s Court were taken from the Camp Street prison to the Leonora Police Station on a minibus which was swiped by a Canter vehicle, on the East Bank Demerara highway.
Stabroek News understands that the vehicle used to transport prisoners had developed mechanical problems some months back and is awaiting repairs in the Police Transport workshop. Ever since, other means of transport including minibuses and pick-ups have been utilized to move the prisoners.
Recently another police vehicle, a small Caravan, had been used to carry the prisoners but that has broken down also.
According to a reliable police source, this state of affairs has been communicated to the authorities at the Leonora Police Station, but nothing has been done so far.
“They only saying they looking in the matter but they ain’t doing nothing,” the source, who requested anonymity said.
The source said prisoners were usually transported on the first available vehicle, since there is no specially assigned one and this often results in prisoners reaching the courts very late. This was the case on Tuesday as the prisoners did not reach the court until shortly after midday.
Magistrate Fazil Azeez and Magistrate Hazel Octive-Hamilton, who preside at various West Demerara courts, have in the past expressed concern over prisoners arriving at court late.
The incident on Tuesday occurred as the minibus was proceeding across a junction after the traffic lights had signalled ‘go’. The Canter, owned by a beverage company, had reportedly attempted to turn, while the minibus transporting the prisoners was going straight ahead.
As it turned, the Canter swiped the left side of the minibus causing the headlights on that side to break and a section of the bus to be dented.
This newspaper was told that given the fact that prisoners were being transported and there were security concerns, the minibus had overtaken a line of vehicles awaiting the ‘go’ signal. Stabroek News was told too that only two policemen were in the bus to oversee the eight prisoners and there was no back-up escort vehicle.
Observers say that better measures to ensure security should have been taken, noting that if there was no proper vehicle to transport prisoners, a police vehicle with other ranks utilizing a siren should have been accompanying them.
It was observed too that had the prisoners been of a mind to escape, particularly after the accident, the two ranks escorting them would have been hard-pressed to stop them.
