Twenty-three-year-old Derrick Oudkerk, a convicted prisoner, who escaped while cutting “bushes” at the home of a Prison Officer at Ann’s Grove, East Coast Demerara on April 8, was caught at the camp of a Dredge Owner on May 28.
News Room understands that ranks of the Mahdia Police Station acted on intelligence and went to the camp of Ramdial Pooran at Waterdog River, Potaro Essequibo.
News Room had reported that Oudkerk was cutting the bushes with two other prisoners and was discovered missing just after 16:30hrs on the day in question.
He was serving his time at the Lusignan Prison on a larceny conviction for which he was sentenced to serve 18 months jail.
An investigation was launched into the circumstances that led to the prisoner’s disappearance and it was found that the standard operating procedures governing the selection of prisoners for outdoor labour were not followed.
As a matter of fact, it was found that Oudkerk and the two other prisoners were left unsupervised at the home of the senior prison officer.
The investigation further revealed that an examination of the Gate Journal revealed that the prisoners were under the signature of the Senior Superintendent of Prisons.
However, it was revealed that the three inmates were transported to their intended place of work via Prison Mini-Bus which was being driven by Service Driver Prison Officer, Shepherd, who, on arrival at the Senior Superintendent’s residence handed over those inmates to the relatives of the Senior Superintendent of Prisons.
The investigation further revealed that some degree of work was being done at the residence of the senior prison officer for several weeks leading up to the 8th April 2018 which would have allowed the inmates to have a fairly good appreciation of the ground.
According to the findings of the investigation, the Senior Superintendent signed as uplifting the prisoners to labour at his residence. However, a statement submitted by the driver contradicted the notion of the senior supervisor.
Additionally, while all official reports indicated that it was the senior officer who discovered the prisoner missing, the investigative team found out that the senior prison officer was at the Holding Bay at the time of the escape and examination of the video surveillance footage for the 8th April 2018 substantiated this.
