Staffer took nude photo of recaptured escapee with cell phone

-after prison’s camera was unavailable

Instructions were given to a prison staffer to take a nude picture of Royden Williams called `Smallie’ with his cellphone owing to the unavailability of the prison’s camera, according to Prison Director (ag) Gladwin Samuels who said yesterday that authorities are still working to ascertain how it was leaked to the public.

Based on what he said two persons had direct access to the photograph and another two limited access. Samuels said that no one can be ruled out as the investigation is inconclusive thus far.

A nude photograph of Williams, with his hands handcuffed and feet shackled, was posted on Facebook on Tuesday. In the photo, Williams is seen holding a bottle of water over his privates. It is unclear when the photograph was taken. The circulation of the photo has caused consternation. President of the Guyana Human Rights Association (GHRA) Mike McCormack has since called for those responsible for the leakage to be disciplined. Speaking to Stabroek News yesterday Samuels reiterated that instructions were given for the photograph to be taken for the purpose of updating prison records specifically in keeping with the tattoos that are about Williams’ entire body. “That was the only intended purpose of the photograph”, he said adding that “that being the case because of how it happened a cellphone was used to take the photograph and not the prison camera which was not at that prison at the time”. The prison being referred to is the facility at Camp Street.

According to Samuels, the investigation at the moment is inconclusive because “it is difficult to determine who exactly sent the photograph outside”. When asked about a possible penalty against the person who took the photograph with his cell phone, he made it clear