Justice Winston Moore appointed new Chairman of NOC

Georgetown: Justice Winston Moore has been appointed as the new Chairman of the Commission of Enquiry to investigate the escape of inmates and other related occurrences at the New Opportunity Corps (NOC) Essequibo about months ago.

This post became vacant after Justice Prem Persaud, who is Chairman of the Public Utilities Commission (PUC), resigned.

Persaud resigned just as the commission was preparing to visit and conduct interviews with staffers and inmates of the NOC at Onderneeming on the Essequibo Coast.

The Board of Inquiry includes 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 Ministry of Human Services and Social Security, Trenetta Scott and Mr. Maydha Persaud, a retired headmaster and member of the Teaching Service Commission.

Of the 48 inmates who had appeared in court, eight were charged with arson, and 40 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, while the other 32 were returned to the NOC.