February 23 is designated for all Guyanese to celebrate as it commemorates the day in 1970 the country became a republic, but this year the nation was plunged into mourning when five dangerous prisoners escaped, killing a prison officer and seriously wounding another in the process.

Twenty-one-year-old prison officer, Troy Williams was stabbed to death by the escapees, while his colleague, Roxanne Winfield, who was shot, is still in a serious condition. She was taken to Trinidad yesterday for further treatment.

The names, Dale Moore, Andrew Douglas, Shawn Brown, Troy Dick and Mark Fraser, would send a sense of dread through even the smallest child, because of the havoc they are accused of wreaking since their infamous escape.

The gang of five, as they are now referred to, reportedly attempted to rob a family in Campbellville in broad daylight on April 10, then hijacked a Four Runner, which they later abandoned behind Buxton, East Coast Demerara.

One of the escapees, Andrew Douglas, was positively identified by a resident in the area. The robbery attempt was foiled by residents who fired bullets, riddling the burgundy car they were travelling in. The car had been stolen from a young woman the night before who the bandits had reportedly kidnapped along with a male companion and left in an abandoned house in Bel Air.

A full-page advertisement published in the Stabroek News yesterday and issued by Commissioner of Police (ag), Floyd McDonald, states that a handbill captioned `Shaka Lives' is being circulated, purported to be written by persons calling themselves `The Five Freedom Fighters.' According to the handbill, the five regret the death of Williams and the injury to Winfield. They stated that they would not leave the country but would stand and fight for the African-Guyanese nation just as sea bandits, Sir Walter Raleigh, Sir Francis Drake and Sir Henry Morgan fought for England and were honoured by the Queen.

All of the five escapees faced charges of serious crimes before they escaped. Leading the list is Moore, who is accused of committing four murders. According to the advertisement on January 11, 1998 Moore murdered Boodram Nankishore and on November 10 in the same year he made his first escape from prison. On December 19 1998 he is accused of murdering Mohamed Kassim and Surajita Kassim and notorious bandit Jerry Perreira. On July 14, 1999 Moore allegedly discharged a loaded firearm with intent at Natasha Rambarose and also committed armed robbery on the Commerce Cambio while discharging a loaded firearm with intent at Roxanne Cornelius.

Moore had earlier escaped from prison and was recaptured in Suriname last year.

Brown faces the charge of robbery under arms which he committed on November 10, 1998 and another charge of armed robbery committed on November 5, 1998. On January 5, 1998 he allegedly broke and entered a building with intent to steal and on July 14, 1999 he committed armed robbery on Kennard Gobin.

Dick faces the charge of murder committed on Hubert Small on January 1, 1999 and two charges of escaping from lawful custody on December 23, 2000 and February 14, 1999.

Charges facing Douglas state that on July 21, 1995 he unlawfully had in his possession a nipper while on the same date he committed the offence of break and enter and larceny. On August 14, 1996 he allegedly caused a death by dangerous driving while on September 1, 1999 he reportedly discharged a loaded firearm with intent at Rekha Ramsingh and on September 22 in the same year he committed the offence of robbery under arms on Deodat Singh in America Street. The final charge Douglas faces is robbery under arms committed on the National Insurance Scheme on January 10, 2000.

Fraser faces two charges of robbery under arms committed on Shameer Gaffoor and robbery with aggravation committed on March 21, 1991 and November 11, 1992.

The police are offering $10 million for information leading to the recapture of these five, armed and dangerous men.