Prison officer charged over bid to smuggle phones into Mazaruni prison

The cell phones and chargers that Ken Samuels was charged with attempting to smuggle into the prison.

Ken Samuels, the prison officer who allegedly attempted to smuggle prohibited items into the Mazaruni Prison last month, has been charged.

Samuels, 27, was accused of attempting to smuggle nine cell phones with chargers, a SIM card, a memory card and 403 grammes of cannabis into the prison.

He denied the charge when he appeared in the Bartica Magistrate’s Court and bail was refused.

The police had said that Samuels was intercepted at the bachelor’s quarters of the Mazaruni Prison around 9am on October 25.

The prohibited items were unearthed after a search was conducted on a haversack he was carrying.

Stabroek News had previously reported that at the time of the discovery, Samuels was returning to the prison compound. He was subjected to a search after he was seen acting in a suspicious manner and reportedly used an unauthorised entrance.

Samuels was subsequently suspended to facilitate the investigation.