Video of Inmates Escaping Brazil Jails Ahead of Corona Virus Lock-down

Kenyan Bulletin news desk has received an exclusive video footage of hundreds of prisoners who broke out of four Brazilian jails on Monday.

The Ministry of Justice and Public Security, previously known as Ministry of Justice and Ministry of Justice and Citizenship– a cabinet-level federal ministry in Brazil  under Minister of Justice and Public Security Sérgio Moro had announced that their day-release privileges were due to be suspended over the corona-virus outbreak.

Kenyan Bulletin sources close to Sao Paulo State Prison Authorities confirmed to us the details that were also copied to local media to report in Brazil.

According to our sources at the Sao Paulo State Prison, the inmates escaped when the officers were doing the routine head count. Local media reported that as many as 1,500 inmates had fled from four jails – Mongaguá, Tremembé, Porto Feliz and Mirandópolis – ahead of the lock-down.

A video embedded to our news desk showed a long stream of prisoners purportedly fleeing a prison. Kenyan Bulletin was unable independently verify the veracity or location of the video.

Insider Dealings

The Sao Paulo state prison authority said acts of insubordination had taken place at the jails ahead of the suspension of the day-release program.

“The suspension was necessary because 34,000 convicts would be returning to jail and would have a high potential to install and propagate the corona-virus in a vulnerable population, generating health risks for servers and custodians.” Sao Paulo said adding that law enforcement were taking care of the situation.

Sao Paulo state is home to the First Capital Command, Brazil’s most powerful prison gang, which is expanding quickly across the country and in neighboring nations. It traffics guns, drugs and other contraband.

Brazil’s overstuffed prisons often see deadly prison riots between rival gangs.

Prison Escape In Kenya

On Thursday March 12, a man identified as Joseph Odhiambo Ogweno escaped from an isolation ward in the Homa Bay County Referral Hospital. Prior to his disappearance, Ogweno was receiving treatment from an isolation ward after being diagnosed with tuberculosis (TB).

Ogweno began displaying signs of the illness while he was in remand. According to the officer in charge of the prison, Beverline Lungatso, medics had advised that Ogweno remain at the facility for 18 months.

Ogweno had subsequently been transferred from the Homa Bay GK Prison to an isolation room at the county referral hospital.

The officers responsible for guarding him were forced to stay outside his ward owing to the contagious nature of the disease. This may have provided Ogweno with the opportunity to escape.

“He had to be taken to the hospital for check-up [and] doctors advised that he should stay at the health facility for a period of up to 18 months. The suspect stayed in the hospital for about four months before he escaped. He might have taken advantage of being alone in the isolation room to escape. Officers guarded him from outside the room and only realized that he was missing after some time had passed,” clarified Lungatso.

Police officers in the area have launched a concerted search for Ogweno who was an inmate at the Homa Bay GK Prison.