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The Chairman of the Commission of Inquiry (COI) into the violent breakout at the New Opportunity Corps (NOC) said yesterday that after the interview of just one more staff member of the juvenile detention centre,Taylor Gabriel Falcons Jersey UK, the final report will be ready for submission.According to the Chairman of the Commission, Justice Winston Moore, he does not want to put a deadline on the submission of the report in the case of unforeseen hindrances.The commission’s work has had some delays after its initial Chairman,Bart Starr Packers Jersey UK, Justice Prem Persaud,Julio Jones Falcons Jersey UK, resigned just as investigations were about to commence.Kaieteur News understands that the staffer whose interview is pending is currently on leave.The Commission of Inquiry was set up several months ago to investigate the circumstances surrounding the violent rampage involving a number of youngsters whose ages ranged from 14 to 16,Eric Rowe Patriots Jersey UK, and leading to their escape from the Juvenile detention facility.Reports are that the teenagers stormed through several communities while being armed with cutlasses and other weapons. During this, a female dormitory and a workshop within the compound were set alight. Some 17 young ladies who were housed in that dorm had to be relocated.Subsequent to the rampage,Atlanta Falcons Jersey UK, some of the inmates,Dave Robinson Packers Jersey UK, after being confronted, claimed that they were being abused by staffers and that they had reached breaking point.A senior Ministry of Culture official had however stated that none of the juveniles made any such allegations to the team which visited the centre prior to the escape.It was as a result of these controversial statements, that a Commission of Inquiry was set up.The five-member Board of Inquiry also include Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, Alfred King; Senior Superintendent and Divisional Commander of ‘D’ Division, Christopher Griffith; Senior Probation Officer of the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security, Trenetta Scott and Mr. Maydha Persaud,Randall Cobb Packers Jersey UK, a retired headmaster and member of the Teaching Service Commission.Of the 48 inmates who appeared, eight were charged with arson,Mike Webster Steelers Jersey UK, while the rest were arraigned for escaping from a training school. Twelve of the inmates are female, while thirty-six are male.Thirteen of the juveniles pleaded guilty to escaping from the NOC, while the remaining 35 entered not guilty pleas.Sixteen of the inmates were remanded to the juvenile facility in Georgetown,Artie Burns Steelers Jersey UK, while the other 32 were returned to the NOC. |
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