Jan. 18
BAHAMAS: Outrage And Shock Outside Prison Gates As a Rock of Ages Funeral Home hearse rolled out of the Her Majestys Prison compound on Tuesday, a woman who has a son on death row at the prison said he told her on Sunday that an uprising had been planned. She said she took it as a joke, but as far as the family of prison officer, Corporal Dion Bowles is concerned, her report to the authorities could have saved his life. Bowles, 38, was stabbed to death during the early morning uprising at the prison, which left another two prison officers - Kenneth Sweeting and David Armbister injured. Neil Brown, the death row inmate who was convicted of murdering Anglican Archdeacon William Thompson in 2000, was shot and killed in the incident, according to authorities. He was reportedly 1 of 4 prisoners who carried out an elaborate plot to escape. Up to yesterday afternoon, police were still on the hunt for Corey Douglas Hepburn, 36, another prisoner who was a part of the revolt. He had escaped twice before. The woman, whose son was convicted of murdering two people, said she had come outside the gates to determine whether he had been involved in the uprising and to find out whether he was "okay". "When I went to visit, all I heard were rumors that the prisoners were getting mistreated and abused and that they were tired and that some of them were planning to leave," said the woman, who did not want her name used. "I wasnt taking it seriously because usually when I come up here I hear a lot of things. I dont really take it seriously, but when I heard this, this morning, I had no other choice but to run and find out what really happened." Asked why she hadnt reported the plot, she said, "Trying to get to the authorities to report things is very hard because when you go to people and tell them that you heard something they put you in the position to make you sound like youre the party involved in it." Mr. Bowles sister, Jean, was distraught outside the prison gates. She and other relatives and friends said they had not received an official report, but someone else they knew who works at the prison informed them about the incident. They cried out as the hearse left Her Majestys Prison and members of the angry crowd on the scene demanded that hangings resume. Ms. Bowles said her brother was a humbled and quiet person who was well liked. She told The Bahama Journal that the family had received reports that he had been gagged and stabbed multiple times. "Its not an easy feeling to lose a brother - and my baby brother - so untimely like that," she said, choking back tears. Prison officials later confirmed the stabbing. Mr. Bowles was a prison officer for 13 years. "He gave his life and officers Armbrister and Sweeting received injury to protect the general public and the prison service is grateful and indebted," said Dr. Elliston Rahming, the criminologist, who the government appointed last year to head the prison. Outside the prison gates, the age-old debate of capital punishment was again raised as many on the scene expressed outrage over the killing of a prison officer. "I think that they need to start hanging again," yelled own woman. "They need to sit to the table now and they need to start to hang. This is a serious, serious matter now, very serious. Whether you are FNM or PLP we need to sit down in a group. The prime minister needs to [cause there to be] an inquiry and he needs to start hanging." She added, "They need to send a message to tell these criminals stop [committing crime]." Dr. Rahming later reported during a press conference that inmate, Forrester Bowe, 29, was shot and taken to hospital and inmate, Barry Parcoi, 42, was injured and also taken to hospital. Both were treated and returned to the prison, according to the superintendent. Parcois name became a household name last year when he escaped from the prison and was later captured in Fresh Creek, Andros. Parcoi was serving a life sentence for rape and forcible detention when he escaped Her Majestys Prison in 2005. At the time, officials said he had already served 19 years on his life sentence. But his rap sheet also includes a conviction in 1991 for escaping lawful custody and he was subsequently sentenced to an additional two years in prison. In 1993, he was sentenced to an additional six months in prison for attempting to escape. That same year, he was handed down a 20-year prison sentence for armed robbery. In early 1994, Parcoi received a two-year sentence for possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition and in May 1994, he was sentenced to life in prison. Parcois escape prompted prison officials to seek the most cutting edge methodology for further fortifying the boundaries of the facility and for the 1st time, there is now in place an Internal Affairs Unit aimed at targeting suspicious activities and other matters that may compromise security at Her Majestys Prison, Dr. Rahming had said. Forrester Bowe was also a name that has been in the news in recent times. Bowe and another murder convict, Trono Davis, are awaiting a decision from the Privy Council regarding an appeal that was heard last month. Their attorneys claim that the mandatory death sentence violates their right to life as provided in the constitution. A ruling in their favour could impact all the condemned men, but authorities will have to deal with them on a case-by-case basis, according to the attorney general. The last person hanged in The Bahamas was David Mitchell, who met his fate at the gallows on January 6, 2000. On Tuesday, authorities gave no specifics on how the men managed to escape. (source: Bahamas Journal) VIETNAM: Courts stay tough on drug dealers with death penalty The Ha Noi People's Court on Monday meted out the maximum penalty to 5 convicted drug dealers, 1 of them a woman. The five accused, Nguyen Hoang Viet, Nguyen Thi Tuyet, Giang A Chong, Song A Gia and Vang A Khua, were also ordered to pay fines ranging between VND5 million (US$314) and VND50 million. 3 others received life imprisonment and five were sentenced to between 20 and 2 years in prison. According to evidence before the court, the accused operated an extensive drug supply network stretching from the northern mountain provinces of Son La and Hoa Binh to Ha Noi. They started their clandestine activities in early 2002 when Tuyet brought fruit from the two provinces to sell in the citys southern areas. There she met Viet, a motorbike taxi driver, and the 2 immediately set out establishing their illegal drug supply chain. The court heard that Tuyet had bought 5.5kg of heroin in the mountain provinces, with the support of Kha Van Toan and Nguyen Hong Tan, to resell in the capital. While Tuyet was busy doing the buying in the provinces, Viet had created an extensive distribution network in the areas around the South Bus Station in Hoang Mai District and in some outlying areas of the city. It is estimated that between April 2002 and April 2004, Viet had bought and distributed nearly 5.7kg of heroin. The court found that Viet was the kingpin in the illegal operation because he had taken the initiative in setting up the network and also enticed other people to join him in his illegal activities. Meanwhile, four other convicted drug dealers were also sentenced to death in Bac Giang Province, while another received a sentence of life imprisonment. Police reported that these dealers had brought tens of kilograms of drugs from the northwestern areas to Bac Giang, Lang Son and even moved the contraband across the border. The four, Than Nhan Lam, Than Nhan Sang, Do Van Hoa and Nguyen Quang Thang, was furthermore ordered to pay fines amounting to VND650 million ($40,880). (source: Vietnam News Agency) INDIA: Sikh bodies hold rally against death penalty On a world-wide call for protest rallies, various Sikh organisations held protest rallies at various district headquarters demanding abolition of death penalty and release of Prof Davinderpal Singh Bhullar, currently on death row in Tihar jail and release of all Sikh detenues. To this, the latest issue of displacement of Sikhs in Kashipur was also added. Organised under a common platform of Punjab Rights Forum, around 18 Sikh political parties and groups participated in this rally, prominent amongst which were the Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar), Shiromani Akali Dal (Longowal), Shiromani Akali Dal (1923), Shiromani Khalsa Dal, Sikh Students Federation, Sikh Nari Manch, Khalsa Dal, Khalsa Panchayat, International Human Rights Organisation, Damdami Taksal and others. In the city, the rally was held in front of the Deputy Commissioners office and at the end of the rally a memorandum was presented to the DC. While in Punjab, rallies were held, world over, specially in USA and UK, various Sikh organisations are organising candle-light vigils for the same issues with the release of Prof Bhullar topping the list. Prof Bhullar was deported to Germany on January 17, 1995, tried for attempt on life of Maninderjeet Singh Bitta, the then Youth Congress leader, by planting a bomb in his car in 1993. Though Bitta survived the blast, four people lost their lives. The protest is being supported by the Amnesty International and other members of the World Coalition Against Death Penalty. Apart from this retired Justice A.S. Bains convenor of the Punjab Rights Forum lead a rally in Chandigarh while Simranjeet Singh Mann took out a rally in Nawanshehar. (source: Ludhiana Newsline) THAILAND: Death penalty for Katherine killers 2 Thai fishermen have been sentenced to death for the rape and murder of a British backpacker. Bualoi Posit, 23, and Wichai Somkhaoyai, 24, are to be executed for the attack on 21-year-old Reading University final year student Katherine Horton in Thailand. The 2 men pleaded guilty in a Surat Thani court last week to raping Miss Horton, from Cardiff, as she walked on a Koh Samui beach on the evening of New Year's Day before dumping her body in the sea. She was attacked by the men as she spoke to her mother, Elizabeth, on her mobile phone. Mrs Horton heard a scream before the line went dead. Her daughter's battered body was found floating in Lamai Bay the following day by a jet-skier. The murder charge carried a maximum penalty of death, and prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra made an unusual public appeal for the killers to receive the "hardest punishment" possible, saying the murder had hurt the country's image and could damage its tourism industry. Miss Horton's mother had said that she did not want to see her daughter's killers given the death penalty, telling the News of the World that the men should instead spend the rest of their lives behind bars. The 2 men have 1 month to appeal against the death sentence. Family and friends gathered on Tuesday to bid a final farewell to Miss Horton at her funeral near her Cardiff home. The funeral service took place at St Ifan's Church and was attended by about 200 people. (source: Press Association Ltd.)
