All the prisoners of the civil prison of Aquin in the South of the country escaped this Tuesday, February 12, 2019. According to the first elements of information communicated to the Nouvelliste by the chief inspector of the National Police, Ralph Stanley Brice, the 78 prisoners took advantage of the circumstances linked to a demonstration in Aquin to escape.
The 78 prisoners were out of their cells to take a shower. After their bath, they refused to return to their cells, said the number 2 of the National Police attached to the phone by the newspaper on Tuesday around 2 pm PM, Haiti time. Ralph Stanley Brice, who reported to the Nouvelliste the information provided to him by the local police, said that there was also at the same time a demonstration in front of the premises of the police station and the civil prison of Aquin which are at the same place.
The demonstrators lobbied the police station and the prisoners took the opportunity to escape.
Barricades obstructing the road to Aquin have prevented the arrival of reinforcements from Les Cayes in time, the police officer said.
The Chief Inspector of the National Police has announced the initiation of an investigation to determine the circumstances of this escape and set the responsibilities.
The member for Aquin very against the general direction of the PNH, which he says has long refused to increase the police force in Aquin, told the Nouvelliste that there are only 9 administrative police, and five UDMO officers based in the city of Les Cayes.
Jean Robert Bossé, who reported the information of the police commissioner of Aquin, actually confirmed that the prisoners took advantage of a demonstration in the area to escape. “After their bath, they refused to return to their cells and that is when the protesters started throwing stones … The prisoners took advantage of the situation to flee …”, reported the parliamentarian.
This spectacular escape came at a time when all activities have been paralyzed in the country for six days following a call for a “lock country” operation launched by the political opposition. The main roads of the country are blocked, public transport, schools, commerce, public administration … nothing has worked since February 7. The protesters demand the departure of the ruling team. President Jovenel Moses and Prime Minister Jean-Henry Ceant do not punctuate words.
