Governor denies prisoner almost being let out

Governor John Rankin has refuted reports that a prisoner was almost ‘let out’ following a recent security incident involving a bag of guns found near His Majesty’s Prison at Balsum Ghut.

Although he declined to go into what he referred to as ‘operational detail’ on the issues that led up to the prison being locked down recently, Governor Rankin said security was beefed up to ensure safety after the incident happened.

“Staff at Balsam Ghut were informed of [the security threat] by the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force and as a result, action was taken at the prison to further enhance security and to ensure the safety of both the staff and the prisoners,” Governor Rankin said.

Meanwhile, the Governor described reports that appeared in some sections of the media about a near escape as ‘inaccurate’ and insisted that security was not compromised in any way.

“While I don’t comment on the details, I can confirm that the security of the prison wasn’t compromised in any way and reports from some parts of the media of a prisoner being let out of the prison incorrectly are inaccurate,” he stated.

Police discovered a number of guns near His Majesty‘s Prison at Balsum Ghut after a group of hooded men managed to escape their clutches two weeks ago.

Officers of the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force (RVIPF) said as they conducted patrols in the Lambert Estate area, they observed three males dressed in hoodies and behaving suspiciously, heading in the direction of His Majesty’s Prison.

Police disclosed that the trio fled on foot after they observed the officers and managed to successfully evade the lawmen following a chase. One of the men reportedly dropped a bag during the chase and police said it contained three firearms — one semi-automatic weapon and two pistols.