Georgetown – A fire which started following discontent among prisoners over the seizure of a quantity of marijuana this afternoon destroyed the old wooden Lusignan Prison facility and has left about 280 to 300 inmates dislocated, de facto Minister of Public Security Khemraj Ramjattan said today.
None of the inmates has escaped and they are currently in an open area at the facility under heavy guard. Eight prisoners were said to have sustained various injuries.
“I received calls from both Director of Prisons Mr [Gladwin] Samuels and Police Commissioner Leslie James that the old building of the Lusignan Prison was on fire and subsequently that it seemed that the entire building was destroyed,” Ramjattan told Stabroek News when contacted.
“”There apparently was a discovery of a quantity of marijuana and after that there was an argument among inmates; seems the persons who owned the marijuana, and others. It was during that [argument] that the fire started. Nobody was hurt or no one escaped . . . ,” he added. (Stabroek News)
