For many in a public already skeptical about the justice and law enforcement systems, the unraveling of the case against Ben Bou-Nahra left a bitter taste. And that's why so many have been waiting to see what happens with the next big case, which is the Brannon brother murder trial. Again, it is a case of well-to-do or well-connected young men from the north side charged for the killing two men from the Southside. And while the lines of race and class, are not as stark as they were in the Bou-Nehra case, the perception is there. And for many the suspicion that, under the law, some are just more equal than others was cemented on Saturday night when Joseph Kee and Taedron Bennett were intercepted at a police checkpoint being escoreted by a senior prison officer.
At about 9:45 pm police at the mile 4 police check point on the Western Highway stopped a green Chevrolet Jimmy being driven by 27 year old Taedron Bennett, while 32 year old deputy chief prison officer Oscar Puga, the owner of the vehicle was in the passenger seat. 29 year old Joseph Kee was in the back along with another prisoner 32 year old Harry Trapp. The three prisoners were detained and then sent back to Hattieville on Sunday.
Puga however remains in police custody and this evening he was charged with willfully allowing prisoners to escape and contempt to judicial order. He will go to court tomorrow. But today Prison CEO Marlon Skeen pronounced him guilty. He said that Puga had no authority to be with those prisoners.
Marlon Skeen, CEO - Kolbe Foundation
"We have been receiving reports that inmates, high profile inmates you may, have been out of the prison at strange times. This is primarily in the evening or night, in the dark hours."
So prison authorities say they worked with police to set up a sting.
Marlon Skeen,
"Because of the nature of the circumstances, we wanted to catch the person red-handed. Being a senior person like he is, in fact being one of the main players in this management structure, we found it necessary to catch him in the act and this was what happened. And being caught red-handed like that, there is no if, why, maybe or but - he is guilty."
But guilty of what? Puga's attorney is Michael Peyrefitte:
Michael Peyrefitte, Attorney for Oscar Puga
"Quite frankly I don't see any basis for any charge being levied against him. Like I said I don't want to anticipate what they will do or will not do in terms of charging him and then I having to come up with a pre-emptive defense for Mr. Puga. I really would prefer to wait to see just what if anything they will charge him with. But I have to say right from the outset that I don't see what they could possibly charge him with."
Marlon Skeen,
"He was not authorized to have those specific inmates with him and secondly, at that time of night. What business would those inmates have out at that time of night, apart from mischief?"
And according to Skeen, the real mischief was what he characterized as a corrupt relationship with Puga.
Marlon Skeen,
"The thing that jumps to mind is the exact thing that everybody out
there is saying, that..... Now. I don't know that for a fact and I am hoping the police could shed some light on it. But those two specific individuals, they are high profile and from day one the concern was the spreading of money around and sad to say that some people can be bought."
And according to Skeen the corruption does not end with Puga, at least three other prison officers are being investigated.
Jules Vasquez,
Do you think he acted in concert with other prison officers?
Marlon Skeen,
"Yes we certainly do. Why? Because a lot of the normal procedures were not followed. So we're certain, 10% certain, that there are others officers involved in it and like I said the police are doing their investigation. They were in there most of yesterday and they took the ledger books and the relevant documents that should have been completed and were not completed. So it is difficult to, it is something very serious but the way it occurred is because it is a top senior prison officer who is trusted."
And while it's easy to blame the staff, Skeen is the boss.
Jules Vasquez,
You said you've been hearing these reports for about a year. How did the CEO of the prison could not have known two of the most high profile prisoners, I operate in the community, I didn't have proof, but I have heard that these guys have been out. It seems hard to understand how the CEO could not have known. Is that really the case?
Marlon Skeen,
"Jules it is a very good question and certainly the buck stops with me. No hiding, no two ways from that. But the problem is that Puga being a senior
person is able to conduct stuff like that. It is very easy for him to come in and do movements like that, simply because he is trusted and he is the person in authority. And further to that, we have other people on staff and now these are junior officers who could either be threatened, intimidated, or bought themselves. We don't know. But it is not like we haven't known. We haven't known for a fact but we have had very very strong suspicion and that is why we acted and that is why we conducted this little sting operation if you want to call it."
Jules Vasquez,
You have 1,400 prisoners here. Certainly somebody would say, 'watch that.' Somebody had to have seen them, there's not an underground railroad. You have to walk through the compound and there are 1400 people in a small concentrated area, a lot of people have to see you. Certainly people will talk, it is not something hard to see.
Marlon Skeen,
"That's very true Jules but as I mention up to the point of them leaving the facility, it is abnormal to have inmates out, especially if there is an investigation or if there is some type of activity. And because the prison is so large and spread out, not all areas will be aware of something happening in another area. So inmates are out and around. Remember this is like a community and the same way how you have people out on the street late at night, its similar to the prison but not on that large scale."
But those words probably don't console a community that sees this as one more case of a justice and penal system only too eager to give a break to a certain kind of prisoner.
Jules Vasquez,
Certainly this case, all the attention it has received, the intrinsic concern that people have, especially after the Bou-Nahra case is that rich kids don't go to jail and here they are being permitted out, in the public's mind, on a weekend jaunt because they are rich kids. That's the public perception. How do you battle that, counter that, and restore confidence in your facility?
Marlon Skeen,
"Jules its definitely a very very very big black eye for us. It's a total betrayal of trust in all quarters and it's a betrayal of the trust the public has in Kolbe and in us too. How to move on there? We would like to think that our track record is very good and the changes and the different things that we're doing in the prison is out there for everybody to see. This is one incident and yes it was the rich kid thing but as we all know, money does a lot of damage and it does a lot of good too. But sad to say people can and will be bought and it's a constant struggle against corruption and against all these things. Basically you dust yourself off and you move on and hope that the good `that you have done outweighs the bad that has occurred."
As regards Skeen's bold claim that the Puga, the prison's second in charge of security, acted in a corrupt manner, Puga's attorney Mike Peyrefitte told us that it is an unfortunate and premature comment because the police investigation has not concluded. He added that it is defamatory because police have found no evidence of wrongdoing. Skeen says that Taedron Bennett and Joseph Kee have been placed in the Supermax section of the prison along with 71 of the prison's most dangerous offenders. Previously, they had been remanded in the medium security remand section at the Tango 6 building.
A few more notes. First, the sting operation comes after public sightings of other high profile criminals who are also supposed to be on remand. Second, Bennett and Kee are set to go on trial for murder in the January session of the Supreme Court. Some sources say the investigative file has been compromised, but the prosecution office denies this. Third, caught in the middle of all this is 32 year old Harry Trapp. He has served 15 years of a 25 year sentence for manslaughter, and is a prison trustee - which means he is afforded special privileges and freedom to move within the prison compound. Up to Saturday, he was eligible for parole.
