The July 24, 2015 Port-of-Spain Prison break which resulted in the death of PC Sherman Maynard has the characteristics of organised crime and a commission of enquiry will reveal the network of players involved.
This was the conviction of Insp Anand Ramesar, president of the Police Social and Welfare Association, who is calling on President Anthony Carmona to set up a commission of enquiry into the incident.
Shortly before he boarded a flight out of the country yesterday, Ramesar, in a T&T Guardian telephone interview, said, “We put a lot of things into context, the information that was brought forward before that day and after, and one thing stands out, it’s that this particular break has the characteristics of organised crime.
“You need a network of several players, both internal and external, to the prisons service for this to happen. A commission of enquiry will reveal who were involved in this network.”
Ramesar has sent a collection of documents to Carmona which include statements from acting Prisons Supervisor, Francis Fournellier, Assistant Commissioner of Prisons, Thomas Espinoza, and acting Prisons Officer 11, Mervyn Pierre.
The statements revealed that shortly before the prison break, high-profile murder accused Rajaee Ali told senior prisons officers about it. Detailed plans about the break and minutes of meetings held by senior prisons officers prior to the incident were included in the statements submitted to Carmona.
Ramesar, in calling for an enquiry into the matter, told Carmona in a May 13 letter his association believed the matter was “being swept under the carpet” and police officers “are being restricted from getting to the bottom of this event”.
He told the T&T Guardian it is an insult for senior prisons officers to dismiss the incident by saying such reports are common, given it was someone like Ali who brought forward information of the planned break.
“We are also hearing the prisons service is pursuing a disciplinary matter against a junior officer in relation to this incident, instead of dealing with the big picture.
“This is the worst crime you could perpetrate on the public. This is not commensurate with the gravity of the offence that led to the death of the officer,” Ramesar said.
“Someone has to answer why Maynard was placed on duty outside the prison without sufficient information being given to him and why wasn’t a contingent of officers placed outside given the information that was forthcoming?
“A policeman has lost his life and the police service and the public are calling for answers. The officer’s family needs answers.”
Ramesar said the association is being led to believe the matter is being swept under the carpet because of the length of time that elapsed since it happened.
“We are at the point where, not just the police, but members of the public have not gotten any feedback on what happened on that day.
“The association is sufficiently clear that its call for a commission of enquiry is founded on sound principles.”
If the President does not think the prison break warrants an enquiry, the association will start a petition to present to him, Ramesar is warning.
PRISON ESCAPE
On July 24 last year, Christopher “Monster” Selby, Hassan Atwell and Allan “Scanny” Martin shot their way out of the Port-of-Spain Prison on Frederick Street. They reportedly had a grenade in their possession.
Maynard was shot dead during the escape. Martin was killed by the police shortly after and Atwell was found dead in Laventille on July 26. Selby later surrendered to the police and is incarcerated at the Maximum Security Prison.