Five prisoners to testify before Prison Inquiry tomorrow

On Thursday (March 10) the Commission of Inquiry (COI) will begin its Public hearing with five prisoners who are expected to take the stand and tell their version of last week’s Camp Street Prison riot.

Chairman of the COI, Justice James Patterson said the body’s aim is to determine what happened last Thursday at the Prison, causing the death of 17 prisoners.

Yesterday (March 8) the three commissioners visited the prison after they were officially sworn in and accepted their responsibilities.

It was during that visit that the Chairman described the aftermath as a war zone. “What I did see looked like a war zone…I don’t know what it was like before” Justice Patterson said.

According to Justice Patterson his job is not to “advise the government” on what should be done after the work of the Commission was completed. He said “when we (COI) put forward our recommendations our job is finish…what they do with it is a matter to them.”

Commissioner, Merle Mendonca said “the commissioners visited the site of the tragedy yesterday (Wednesday) afternoon…arrangements would be in place for grief counseling for the affected inmates, officers and their families.”

The deadline for the COI to submit its findings and recommendations is March 28, 2016, when it would be handed over to the Minister of Public Security.