Another fire was lit in the Georgetown Prison, Camp Street yesterday afternoon, this time in Capital Block C, but was quickly extinguished.
The incident occurred around 14:45 hrs, came almost three weeks after 17 inmates died in a fire during a protest at the prison and while a Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into that unrest is ongoing.
The Guyana Fire Service and members of the Guyana Police Force, including its Tactical Services Unit (TSU) were present at the prison.
Stabroek News understands that a prisoner officer was on patrol duty when he saw a cell engulfed in smoke. Upon investigation, he realised that a piece of cloth had been set on fire and an alarm was raised. The cell is located in the southern side of the prison.
Attorney-at-law Selwyn Pieters, speaking to reporters just after exiting the prison confirmed that there had been a fire in the Capital Block C of the prison, but it had been, “successfully extinguished and is under control by members of the fire service and prison officials.”
He claimed the fire “was deliberately lit by a prisoner who threatened to burn the prison down.”
According to Pieters, the matter is currently being investigated by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) and once completed charges will be laid accordingly.
Pieters is representing the Prison Service and the Guyana Police Force at the CoI.
Seventeen prisoners died and several were injured on March 3, after fires were started during a protest at the Georgetown Prison.
The fires were started by inmates housed in the Capital Offences section of the prison, during renewed unrest from the night before, which occurred just before 11 am.
At the time, members of the Joint Services were trying to move the prisoners in the wake of the previous night’s protest, during which several fires had been lit.
