A junior prison officer was detained by police yesterday evening, after he failed to return a bunch of keys for the general population section of the Port-of-Spain Prison in a timely manner.
According to police reports, the prison officer 1 left work on Thursday night with the keys and when contacted said he would return the keys immediately but failed to do so. Further attempts to contact the officer on his mobile phone were unsuccessful. When the officer finally showed up to work yesterday he was handed over to police.
Prison officials say they have to verify whether any copies of the keys were made and if so there will be an overhaul of the prison locks to ensure no inmate gets a copy of the keys.
The officer was taken to the Port-of-Spain Criminal Investigation Department, where up to last night he was being questioned.
Prison officials said while the keys were returned they are being cautious, especially since there had been rumours of an intended jail break following last year’s daring daylight breakout.
In April there was an increase in security at the Port-of-Spain Prison after there was a rumour of an intended jailbreak.
On July 24 last year, Allan ‘Scanny’ Martin, Hassan Atwell and Christopher ‘Monster’ Selby, armed with guns and a grenade, bolted from the prison. Prison officer Leon Rouse was shot and PC Sherman Maynard, who was stationed outside, was killed. Martin was killed moments after the escape, after he was cornered at a guard booth at the Port-of-Spain General Hospital and Hassan Atwell was murdered in East Port-of-Spain one day later. Selby, 30, surrendered to officers at the Barataria Police Station 48 hours after his escape. He was subsequently charged with ten offences including the murder of Maynard.