Wilson: Report ‘remains a mystery’

ON Tuesday, the third anniversary of the jailbreak from the Port of Spain prison, in which three people died, reporter
Yvonne Webb spoke to Prison Commissioner
Gerard Wilson, in a recorded interview.

This is a transcript of the relevant parts of that conversation, some of which Mr Wilson asked to be withheld from publication.

YW: In response to statements by Mr Richards (Ceron Richards, head of the Prison Officers Association) today, that on the third anniversary of the jailbreak, there has been no investigation by the prison to date, that they are not certain about what would have transpired, who would have brought in the guns and grenades, and in spite of there being no investigation (his words), prison officers have been suspended, I am calling to get an update as to the status...

GW: I don’t think it was quite accurate to say that there was no investigation.

What happened, there was an investigation. However it cannot be found.

Because an investigation was done by an assistant commissioner at the time...

(Reporter asks whether this was an assistant commissioner of prisons or of police)

GW: Of prisons, of prisons, because we are looking at two separate investigations. One would have had to be internal, which was done by the ACP, and the other one, of course, by the police. Because it would mean they would have to look at the security aspect of men coming out of the prison shooting, and of course there was a homicide. So they would have been looking at that, and the prison would have had to do an internal investigation, which was done by an assistant commissioner.

However, what is strange is that we can’t find the conclusion of that investigation, and this is what the association is saying.

In the absence of an investigation that is not completed, persons were suspended.

So that my concerns really, my statement about this would be, I would have concerns in terms of the breach in security and how did these items come into the prison for these inmates to get hold of them. So that would be my concern.

(The reporter and the commissioner then discuss the need to conclude the investigation.)

Is the person who would have conducted the investigation still in the service?

GW: No. They would have retired.

So you don’t know what has become of the report.

GW: Yes, this is it. This remains a mystery and something I would not be able to answer at all.

So, Mr Wilson, do we start the process all over again? Because three people would have died, three of your men are on suspension – I mean, the whole country was topsy-turvy. We don’t know if it can happen again. You have men under your command, people you are responsible for should it happen again; so where do we go from here?

GW: Well, everybody sitting on the seat would operate differently. I am saying to you, in prison three of the things you need to look out for is: fight among inmates, escapes and suicides. I mean you can’t get away from that, despite how good you look and what security you put in place. You would always find that unguarded moment.

But I am saying, you talking about three years, you cannot go and do an investigation now concerning something that was done three years ago, you know?

So that you have persons on the outside who may now be, let us say, on three-quarter salary, half-salary and if at the end of it they are found to be innocent, it is unfair to them and their families. So this should have been expedited.

So if that report is missing, what is going to happen to them (suspended prison officers)? How can it be concluded?

GW: The thing about it, the matter is going on as we speak in the service commission. It’s not to say that it is just dormant.

I think what the association is saying it has not been conclusive. But the matter is going on as we speak at (the) service commission. That’s the internal investigation.

However, the investigation by the police and whether…what loopholes or what shortcomings in terms of the security is what I would be interested to find out: who would have brought these weapons.