Police Commissioner Seelall Persaud has reported that investigators have found no reason to cast doubt on the information that was provided by abducted 22-year-old Matthew Shivtahal about him being taken hostage by the prison escapees.
The young man was abducted by four inmates of the Georgetown Prison just after they busted out on Sunday.
After spending an entire day with the escapees in the back lands, he was released and returned to provide investigators with an account of what transpired.
Speaking at a joint press briefing on Thursday, the Police Commissioner said he couldn’t say if the information provided to the police by Shivtahal was misleading but he was being treated as a witness.
“We have no concern, his description of the geography was spot on and he could only know that because he’s telling the truth or he went there before,” the Police Commissioner said.
Seelall said the information provided was not being treated as a distraction and in any event, it is not expected that the escapees would remain in the same location.
“I’m sure they will not be in the same position […] and they will not share their plans with him,” he added.
The Commissioner said no security was being provided to the witness as no threat to his life is evident.
“They had him, according to him, in the backlands where they were alone and they didn’t harm him.”
Shivtahal said he was set free just before 11 o’ clock on Sunday night and just kept walking towards a light that he was seeing. He never reached that light which was at a shop, until Monday night in the Annandale community and he was happy about that.
He said the four men did not talk much while he was with them, but they had mobile phones and would call persons, but no calls were coming in to them.
The traumatized man also recalled that only two of them were armed with handguns. He described the moment as the scariest in his life and said as he walked through the bushes in the East Coast backlands, all he kept thinking about is wanting to see his young son.
“That is all I was thinking about, my son. And so I kept walking and walking till I reach out.”
He explained that the long walk has left him in aches and pains with bruises. He is hoping to make a full recovery soon, while understanding that the situation he found himself part of , has left a scar with him for the rest of his life.
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