“Smallie” escape: 4 Prison officers, 2 others each granted $750,000 bail
Superintendent of the Mazaruni Prison, Alexander Hopkinson, three other prison officers, and two civilians, who are accused of aiding the now late mass murderer and death row inmate, Royden Williams, called “Smallie” to escape from the aforementioned prison, were each granted bail in the sum of $750,000.
Royden Williams
They were granted bail by Magistrate Christel Lambert on Thursday. At the defendants’ initial court appearance on May 25, they were refused bail and remanded to prison by this same Magistrate.
Besides 59-year-old Hopkinson, of Miles Housing Scheme, Bartica Potaro Road, the other prison officers charged are: Omar Witherspoon, 28, of Stanleytown, New Amsterdam, Berbice; Conroy Hosannah, 35, of Fort Ordnance Housing Scheme, East Canje, Berbice; and Oldfield Romulus, 50, of Cumberland Village, East Canje, Berbice.
They too are attached to the Mazaruni Prison. Rajmohan Autor known as `Chico’, 48, a businessman of Parika Outfall, East Bank Essequibo (EBE); and Frangeliz Jugandry Flores Perez, 28, a Venezuelan of Alexander Street, Kitty, Georgetown, are also charged.
It is alleged that the four Prison Officers, Autor, and Perez on May 19, in the county of Essequibo, conspired with other persons unknown to assist Williams in escaping from lawful custody under sentence of death. The case will be called again on July 5 for disclosure of statements.
As a condition of bail, the defendants were ordered to lodge their passports with the Clerk of Court pending the hearing and determination of their trial.
No reporting conditions were imposed.
Hopkinson is being represented by Attorney-at-Law Bernard Da Silva, Hosannah and Witherspoon by Attorney-at-Law Patrice Henry, and Romulus by Attorney-at-Law Eusi Anderson.
While being escorted back from a visit, with the aid of heavily armed accomplices in a speedboat, Williams, escaped from the Mazaruni Prison at around 14:30 hrs on Friday, May 19.
The escort party was fired upon with AK-47 automatic rifles from the boat alongside the Mazaruni River during the transfer. During the exchange of gunfire, Williams made good his escape.
The boat and its occupants proceeded upstream, past Itaballi landing, while Prison guards and Police in support undertook pursuit. No Prison Officer was injured during the ordeal.
The convicted killer was eventually shot and killed during a Joint Services operation on June 1 at 47 Miles in Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni)
Two of his accomplices were also shot and killed.
Williams had been convicted of murders and sentenced to death, stemming from the Bartica massacre in 2008, when he, along with other gunmen, ambushed and killed 12 persons, including three Policemen.
Additionally, he had been sentenced to death in September of last year over the January 23, 2008, killing of Guyana Defence Force (GDF) member, Corporal Ivor Williams.
Williams had previously escaped from the Camp Street Prison on July 09, 2017, but was recaptured on October 10, 2017, on the Weldaad Public Road, West Coast Berbice (WCB).
At the time of his death, Williams had two appeals against his convictions and death sentences pending at the Court of Appeal of Guyana in Kingston, Georgetown.
