Jailbreak scandal may erode faith in justice system – retired judge
Published:Tuesday | December 21, 2021 | 12:10 AM
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A retired High Court judge has said that he knows of no reason why jailbreak investigations should he conducted “behind closed doors”. Retired Justice Lennox Campbell believes, also, that these investigations should include senior police officers....
A retired High Court judge has said that he knows of no reason why jailbreak investigations should he conducted “behind closed doors”.
Retired Justice Lennox Campbell believes, also, that these investigations should include senior police officers.
The assertions come amid a number of “high-level” probes announced by the Police High Command after a jailbreak incident.
Two of those investigations were announced in the last four weeks after three men, two of them wanted for murder, mysteriously vanished from the Kingston Central and Freeport police lock-ups amid allegations of multimillion-dollar bribes to secure their unauthorised release.
The third escapee is now a “major suspect” in the shooting death of the complainant in his assault case, The Sunday Gleaner reported on December 19, citing a top police official.
Justice Campbell called the allegations sad and warned that they could lead to the “accelerated erosion” of the justice system if they are proven to be true.
“There must be accountability, which should not be confined to rank and file,” the retired jurist said in his op-ed piece, making reference to low-ranking cops.
He noted, also, that for years successful prosecution of criminal cases in Jamaica has been stymied by the “informa fi dead” culture.
“The effect of this is a society which is disengaged from the criminal justice system. Grievances are increasingly settled extrajudicially. The result is an emboldened criminal who performs his criminal actions with impunity,” he said.
Alex Scott, 20, who is facing a charge of wounding with intent, and Ainsley Woodburn, 29, who is charged with two counts of murder, vanished from the Freeport police lock-up in St James on October 23.
On December 1, Orville Purnell, 27, who is wanted in St Lucia for murder and illegal possession of firearm and ammunition, “walked out” of his cell at the Kingston Central Police Station in downtown.
In both cases, according to multiple sources, large cash payments were made to secure the men’s escape.
The three were among eight prisoners to have escaped police custody under mysterious circumstances since August.
Days after Scott’s escape, the male complainant in his wounding case was shot to death in the St James community of Flanker, Assistant Commissioner Clifford Chambers, commanding officer for the Police Area One, confirmed.
Investigators now consider Scott a “major suspect” in the killing, Chambers disclosed.
Chambers, the highest-ranking police officer in western Jamaica, said that he personally had visited the Freeport lock-up and saw no damage to the cells.
“So, from my standpoint, it is clear that the persons were either let out or the locks were left opened by some mistake,” he opined.
Retired Justice Campbell also raised a number of questions regarding the slaying of the complainant in the case against Scott.
“What steps did the police take to protect and keep free from harm the complainant, having failed to keep Scott in custody? Did they warn the complainant of Scott’s escape? Did they advise him of the danger Scott’s escape posed to the complainant and his family members? What steps have the police taken to secure the deceased complainant’s family?” he asked.