MP SAYS CELLS OVERCROWDED, CALLS FOR FULL, IMMEDIATE INVESTIGATION
INDECOM and the police have launched an investigation into the death of a man while in custody in St Mary.
Dead is 34-year-old Eraldo Francis, otherwise called ‘Nagram,’ a contractor of Tremolesworth, Highgate, St. Mary.
Police confirmed in a release Sunday morning that Francis died while in custody at a police station in St. Mary on Saturday, December 6.
MP for South East St Mary, Christopher Brown, who first brought the matter to public attention, said the man died in the Annotto Bay lock-up, which is overcrowded.
The police said Francis was charged with murder, use of a firearm to commit a felony, possession of a prohibited weapon and unauthorized possession of ammunition. They said further that at about 12:30 Francis, had a physical altercation with other inmates and was injured. He was transported to hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The St. Mary police said they continue to investigate the matter.
In a release Saturday, December 6, Mr Brown said he was deeply concerned by the reports of a fatal incident at the lockup.
He said he wanted an urgent and full investigation of the incident.
“What makes this especially troubling, is the long-standing issue of overcrowding at the Annotto Bay lock-up – a concern I have raised before.”
(South East St Mary MP Christopher Brown)
He said the facility was built to accommodate 12 people yet recent information suggests it has been holding close to five times that number, with approximately 50 detainees confined in a space meant for far fewer.
“These conditions are unsafe, unsanitary, and unacceptable.”
The MP called for a full and immediate investigation into the circumstances surrounding the reported death, with clear and timely communication to the public and a clear plan from the relevant authorities to improve conditions at the facility and prevent any further harm.
