Operations Cleansweep and Safeguard gets supplemental budget

DPI, GUYANA, Monday, November 20, 2017

The National Assembly has approved supplementary provisions totaling $171,173,579 towards Operations Cleansweep and Safeguard.

The allocations covered office supplies, vehicle maintenance and other operating costs for the two operations which ran consecutively, Minister of State Joseph Harmon explained.

On Friday, November 17, the National Assembly passed the Supplementary Appropriation No 3/2017 which provided $2.9 billion for current and capital expenditures which included provisions for the two operations led by the Guyana Defence Force.

Operation Safeguard was launched following the July 9 Camp Street prison fire and subsequent prison break. “Safeguard was basically dealing with securing the prison and putting the prisoners into a safe place,” Minister Jordan explained.

After the Camp Street Prison was gutted by inmates following a riot, the more than 1,000 prisoners had to be housed at the Lusignan and Mazaruni penitentiaries. Some 85 prisoners were later returned to the brick prison at Camp Street. Operation Safeguard was a joint manoeuvre between the Guyana Police Force, the Guyana Prison Service, and the Guyana Fire Service.

Meanwhile, Operation Cleansweep was responsible for recapturing the nine prison escapees who fled from the Camp Street jail, on July 9. Just two weeks later on July 24, 13 prisoners escaped from Lusignan Prison.

All, with the exception of three, were recaptured at the height of Operation Cleansweep.

 

By: Tiffny Rhodius

 

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