Six freed of conspiracy in `Smallie’ escape

The six persons who were charged with conspiracy to facilitate the escape of death row prisoner, Royden Williams, known as ‘Smallie’, were all acquitted of the charges and freed by Magistrate Crystal Lambert yesterday at the Bartica Magistrate’s Court.

The result will be seen as another major prosecutorial failure by the police following the well-planned and shocking escape of the dangerous prisoner who was later shot dead.

The defendants were former head of security at the Mazaruni Prison, Alexander Hopkinson; Rajmohan Autor known as ‘Chico’, 48, a businessman of Parika Outfall; Frangeliz Jugandry Flores Perez, 28, a Venezuelan of Alexander Street, Kitty; Omar Witherspoon, a prison officer of Stanleytown, New Amsterdam; Conroy Hosannah, a prison officer of Fort Ordnance Housing Scheme, East Canje, Berbice; and Oldfield Romulus, 50, a prison officer of Cumberland Village, East Canje, Berbice.

It was alleged that on May 19 2023, they conspired to assist Williams in escaping from the Mazaruni Prison with highpowered weapons in a speed boat. The convicted mass murderer escaped while being escorted back from a visit. He was shot dead on June 1st.

Attorney at law Bernard Da Silva represented, Alexander Hopkinson, Patrice Henry represented Conroy Hoosanah and Omar Weatherspoon, Renea Marcus represented Oldfield Romulus.

The lawyers argued that no evidence was presented to support the charge of conspiracy.

Williams’ escape from the high security prison revealed major breaches in protocols and left the prison authorities facing difficult questions

Home Affairs Minister Robeson Benn, during a hurriedly called press conference a day after Williams’ escape, had highlighted that the breaches had prompted an

overall review of the system to determine what led to the escape which saw at least one accomplice firing a heavy weapon at prison guards. No guard was injured but the circumstances surrounding Williams’ flight raised concerns about assistance he might have had from both without and within the prison.

Benn said that the event was one that never should have happened and clearly showed breaches in protocol. He added that a thorough review of the event would take place and that they will take note of the lapses of awareness and attention and violations of procedures to make sure that there is no similar occurrence and also to continue the efforts of beefing up the surveillance and support to the prison system.

According to police sources, the day before the escape, at about 3.45 pm, two men including a former murder accused hired a boat from Parika, owned and piloted by a Tuschen operator. They stated that they were heading to Itaballi landing. Besides rations and kerosene they had with them a suitcase which was later found to contain three rifles.

Along the journey, the police say that they stopped the boat a short distance from Karrau Village where they proceeded to open the suitcase which revealed three rifles. They then tied up the boat operator and told him that he should cooperate with whatever instructions were given to him. They slept there through the night. The following morning (Friday) about 4.30 am, they instructed the operator to navigate to an area close to the Mazaruni Prison where one man disembarked the boat with one of the rifles. The boat operator was then instructed by the former murder accused to return to where they had moored previously and to wait.

At about 2.15 pm on Friday, the boat operator heard rapid gunfire and the former murder accused instructed him to move in the direction of the beach area at the Mazaruni Prison. The boat operator said that he saw two men plunge into the water and then swim to the boat. He recognised one to be the escapee and the other, the man that he had earlier dropped off. He was then instructed to go further up the Mazaruni River.

In the vicinity of BK quarry his engine seized up and the three men exited the boat with their belongings, each now carrying a rifle. They threatened him not to report it to the police and departed into the bushes, police source say.

Prison guards and the police had pur