Bibi Sharima-Gopaul, who had been found guilty of murdering her daughter Neesa Gopaul in 2010 has been released from jail and the Guyana Prison Service is expected to issue a release on the matter “shortly”.
Sharima-Gopaul had been detained in 2010 for the murder and had originally been sentenced in the High Court to 106 years in the prison. The Guyana Court of Appeal later reduced this figure to 45 years and in August last year, the Caribbean Court of Justice further cut this sentence to 25 years.
News circulated last evening of her release though it was unclear how this could have been possible since she was supposed to serve 25 years for the gruesome crime.
Contacted by this newspaper this afternoon, Director of Prisons Nicklon Elliott was asked whether the Guyana Prison Service would be issuing a statement on the release of the convict as he had been quoted in other sections of the media confirming this.
Elliot stated that the service does not “normally issue releases” on the release of prisoners. It was pointed out that this was a high-profile matter and one of great public interest and he was then asked if he was going to confirm to “us” meaning Stabroek News about the release.
The Director then questioned “who us?” and the reporter explained that she was calling on behalf of the Stabroek News, as she had indicated initially, and not herself. Saying that the reporter was “sounding rude” the Director then stated that his public relations officer should be contacted. He was asked again and he repeated that the public relations officer should be contacted.
This newspaper was minutes later told that a release will be issued “shortly” on the matter when the public relations officer was contacted.
