PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti - Haitian police on Sunday were hunting for nearly 500 prisoners whoescaped after an armed attack on the national penitentiary that sparked a riotand left one guard dead.
Two prominent allies of ousted President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, who hadbeen rushed to a secure location during the attack Saturday night, werereturned to the prison, authorities said.
Guards had rushed former Prime Minister Yvon Neptune and former InteriorMinister Jocelerme Privert to a secret location when the attack occurred andinmates began rioting, and the two were later turned over to U.N. soldiers,Damian Onses-Cardona, a spokesman for the U.N. peacekeeping mission, told TheAssociated Press.
“They were taken back to prison in U.N. vehicles,” Onses-Cardona saidSunday. “They insisted on returning to make clear they didn’t try to escape.”
Onses-Cardona said authorities were investigating whether the attack,which came as Aristide partisans prepare to mark the anniversary of his Feb. 29flight from the country, was aimed at freeing Neptune and Privert.
Chilean Ambassador Marcel Young denied reports that the two men hadescaped and sought asylum from foreign embassies before being recaptured.
Young said he met with themSaturday and “they were only concerned about their security. Once that wasarranged, they asked to go back to the prison.”
The two men are accused oforchestrating killings of Aristide opponents during a rebellion in the westerntown of Saint-Marc. Both men have said they are innocent.
They are among dozens of Aristide officials and supporters detainedsince Aristide fled Haiti amid a three-week rebellion. None have been formallycharged.
Foreign Minister Herard Abraham said in a radio address that 481 of morethan 1,250 prisoners at the prison had escaped. He said heavily armed men hadattacked the prison, without elaboration, only adding that police wereaggressively seeking fugitives.
Privert’s wife, Ginette Privert, was among of dozens of people waitingoutside the prison Sunday for information about their relatives.
“I haven’t heard from him or seen him so I don’t know if he’s OK,” shesaid of her husband. “I’ve been waiting three hours and they still won’t let mein.”
