Guyana offering G$10M reward for recapture of prison escapees

The Guyana Police Force (GPF) has amped up efforts to recapture the four remaining prison escapees. As such, the Force on Wednesday announced a G$10 million reward for information leading to the arrest of the remaining four prison escapees. The fugitives include three high profile prisoners, who escaped the Camp Street penitentiary during the July 9, 2017 riot where prison warden Odinga Wickham was shot dead. The remaining prisoner escaped from Lusignan on July 24.

Paul Goriah is the lone Lusignan inmate on the run while the wanted prisoners, who hijacked a taxi and fled the Camp Street Prison are Uree Varswyck; Mark Royden Durant, also known as “Royden Williams”; and Cobena Stephens, also known as “OJ”. These three are considered armed and very dangerous; so much so that Varswyck, an ex-cop was fingered by several prison officers as the gunman who murdered prison officer and principal breadwinner for his family, Odinga Wickham.
Varswyck, Durant and Stephens were believed to have been moving as a unit along with fellow Camp Street escapee Stafrei Hopkinson Alexander, but the latter was re-captured by Police on July 29. During a period of heavy rain on July 24, 2017, 13 men – 10 who were charged for murder – escaped Lusignan via a dug-out hole which was hidden under a make-shift pit latrine. Clive Forde, Pascal Smith, Kerry Cromwell, Odel Roberts, Kendell Skeet, Rayon Jones, Jason Howard, Shawn Harris, Paul Goriah and Jamal Forde were held for murder armed robbery; and accused inmates Teshawn McKenzie and Winston Long and attempted murder accused, Jamal Joseph. While 11 of the men were recaptured without incident, Clive Forde put up a fight will Joint Services ranks and was killed in a gunfire exchange.
Police advised that anyone with information that may lead to the recapture of the escapees, is asked to contact the Police on telephone numbers 225-6411, 225-8196, 225-2227, 226-1389, 227-2128, 227-1149, 226-7065, 699-0869, 600-3019, 699-0867, 669-4606, 603-3261 or the nearest Police Station. Police noted that all information will be treated with strict confidentiality.
One year prior to this latest spat of prison unrest, 17 inmates were killed in a prison riot at the Camp Street Prison in March 2016.