– One to challenge his dismissal by the Prison ServiceBy Brushell BlackmanMagistrate Fazil Azeez dismissed the case of two prison officers who were charged for negligence that resulted in the escape of nine prisoners from the Mazaruni Prison on January 12, 2007.The matter was last heard in the Bartica Magistrate’s Court on September 30.Leyland Agard, Dismissed Prison Officer The two men who were interdicted from duty with the Guyana Prisons Services are Leyland Agard, 34, and Shane James. While there is a possibility of James returning to his job,Wholesale NFL Jerseys, Agard may not be so lucky.Agard was interdicted and subsequently fired from his job after a departmental hearing. According to the man’s lawyer Leslie Sobers,Wholesale China Jerseys, he was fired because he failed to attend an inquiry that the prison authority had scheduled.The lawyer questioned the timing of the inquiry; since it was convened simultaneously with the case that was ongoing in the court at the time. Sobers said that one would have thought that the prison authorities would have seen the wisdom to leave the matter to the court, the institution that is qualified to decide on the fate of the men, and decide it did.According to Sobers, the Magistrate saw no merit in the case and dismissed it. Additionally, Sobers said that Magistrate Azeez ruled that the prosecution had failed to show how the men were negligent in their duties resulting in nine prisoners, Dineshwar Sooklall, Kenneth Richardson, Asrudeen Khan, Randolph Rodrigues, Royston Reid, Trevor McLean, Alvin Shivnarine,Wholesale Jerseys Free Shipping, Anil Sanichar and Ryan Ramfarose, escaping from the detention facility.According to James, who was in court at the time of the decision, the Magistrate said,NFL Jerseys Wholesale, had it been him he would have made personal safety a priority since one is unsure what these nine men would have done, knowing that they were convicted felons.Taking all of those facts into consideration, coupled with the prosecution’s inability to make out a case against the men the Magistrate came to his decision.Agard plans to challenge his dismissal, which he said was wrongful and without basis.Mirroring his lawyer’s sentiments, Agard opined that if not attending the inquiry deserved a punishment, dismissal was surely not the one.This, the former senior prison officer plans to prove in court and as was the case of the negligence charge he is hopeful that the court will see no merit in his dismissal and overturn it.According to Agard, it has been difficult for him since he has given so many years to a profession that he still loves. Agard is currently reduced to doing a security job at a city store.He said that all he did on that fateful day was to put safety first since it was not long ago that one prison officer was killed and one seriously injured during the infamous Mash Day jail break in the city.Recounting the events of the day of the escape, Agard said it was ‘feed-up’ session and he was about to feed one section of the prison by himself.Unaware of the prisoners intention he went about doing his duty when he was kicked to the ground by a prisoner he identified as ‘’Footprint’.On the ground and scared for his life he said he heard another prisoner,Wholesale NFL Jerseys, Rodrigues, saying “Leh we finish he; leh we [email protected] he up”.Agard said that at that point he knew he had to make a decision or be dead. It was at this point that he sprung up in fear and ran behind the dining hall and concealed himself. He said there was little he could have done since he was outnumbered.Behind the dining hall and out of danger Agard said he enquired from James who was taking cover himself, where the prisoners were and was told by his colleague that they (prisoners) took the wall (escaping over the prison wall). The nine convicts were recaptured days later.In the wake of that escape, advice was sought from the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) on the matter.The DPP at the time recommended that the men be charged for negligently or carelessly allowing the convicts to escape. They were released on $75,Cheap Jerseys From China,000 bail. |